What Will Never Again Be Found
by Aniki-xvi
Summary: Conan had been kidnapped, and just recently been found. Nevertheless he wasn't and Never will be in the same mental state he was before... But who'll figure him out?  The rest in. Main Cast: Katio,Heiji,Hakuba,Haibara, Satoshi Kawaguchi  M14 ,and Ayami Ogino  M13  Ch 10 -... beta-ed. DarkConan Creepy bunnies, and one eyed Cats. Review plz.  Complete   Side story
1. Chapter 1

**Full summary:**

After getting kidnapped Conan Edogawa had been found. For more than three weeks without a trace as the Kidnapper never bothered to call and ask for a ransom or anything at all. It took a combined effort of all police districts to finally find him. But, what they found, the after effect of what had happened is still not clear and there are still a lot of variables missing and hidden.  
The boy has been officially labeled insane, mentally unstable. But is there more to it than just that?

**Chapter 1: **Beta-ed (_Finally! It's actually decent!)_

**Chapter 2-9: **Un-beta-ed (But! On the way to ^^ …Slowly)

**Chapter 10-…: **Beta-ed (And will hopefully continue to be)

**Beta: **LostintheDreams (You better thank her for making everything to understandable!)

_Prologue: __What Will Never Again Be Found ( WWNABF)_

_Something was wrong. Something was really_, really_, wrong. I don't know what it is… I just feel it..._

It was the middle of the night, the end of the Kid's heist, on the roof of a nameless building with the blue full moon shining ever so vibrantly. This was the part where he jumped to his freedom after a long and entertaining chase with his own police force on him, and whichever detective that happened to show up. Nothing out of the ordinary…not _yet_….

He hadn't seen his favorite shrunken detective since the previous heist. He was fine then, but that was almost three month back. Now, he was standing before him and… it looked as though something changed… What it was, he didn't know…

It was not the dark, patched, creepy Bunny that was more than half his size he's hugging that he was referring to - _actually it might be, just a bit-_ Nor the lack of his power enhancing shoes, voice changing bow, or his dart spitting watch either. No, it was something much deeper than that, something _graver_, something in his eyes…

He could've just jumped and ended the night successfully, since tantei-kun was making no effort in stopping him whatsoever, even though he's been there for awhile… They stayed still, doing nothing but staring at each other. Conan stood there at the far end, close to the locked door, and Kaito stood near the edge ready to jump with his prize at any moment.

Tantei-kun had been waiting for him here, but he didn't as much as bat an eye to his appearance, or soon to be disappearance. His face was void from any emotion. Kaito couldn't tell what he was thinking and it was killing him!

_I know, this is the tantei I always favored, the one I always kept my doves on the lookout for, knowing he's bound to get in trouble as they seem to be prone to finding him. Yet, for some reason, I feel as though I'm looking at a stranger - one with the same face as the detective kid I like to fool around with… but someone else on the inside now… _

_Heh._ He could be just overthinking things and all of it could've been just his imagination going wild.

And so, hesitantly, he took small, slow, steady steps, as he locked his eyes on the 7 years old kid. By the time he reached him, he was sweating from mere anxiety. Tantei-kun hadn't flinched as Kid walked; he just simply kept his eyes on the older teen's face, following his every movement.

"H…Hey…" came the stuttering word.

Kaito came up close, less than a mere inch between them, and all the boy did was simply stare. Kid kneeled down to his eye level and finally made up his mind to what he wanted to say…

"Hey, Conan..! Are you alright? You don't feel… sick or anything, right?" He questioned his state of impassiveness.

"…"

Kaito was now able to see a blank look due to closeness.

"You do know it's only polite to answer a question." The magician teased.

"…"

Still nothing

_Oh... kay, this is starting to creep me out, and it's making me all paranoid. Let's try this…_

"What do you want from me?" The magician asked straightforwardly.

'_What else other than throw you behind bars, like every other detective after you?' _Is what the Phantom thief expected to come out of his mouth.

"_Ne_, _uncle_, can you fly?" A weak and low voice spoke.

…

"…what?" It took Kid time to figure out where the source of the sound came from.

"I heard from my father, Kogoro, do you know him? He's a famous detective!" Excitement might have been there, but it was lost on the impassive expression.

"…Huh? Uh, yeah I know Mouri-tantei… Your _father_? Mouri isn't your father… right?" _Great now, I'm doubting myself! _Thought the poor perplexed phantom.

"_*blink*_ "Yes he is. Why would you say something like that? How would you know; after all, this is the first time I met you. What would make you think that I'm lying?" Conan took in a deep breath after he finished the sentence. It seemed as though talking alone took a lot of energy out of him. _What happened?_

"Excuse me, boya, but what's your name?" the Phantom thief doubted that _maybe_, just maybe, this kid in front of him wasn't Edogawa Conan. Similar face and build, but not him.

The little spectacled boy tilted his head to the side, as any other innocent clueless child would, blinked few times and then he opened his small mouth… and said…

"But _Uncle_, you called it just a few minutes ago!... You know my name. Why do you ask if you already know it?"

He blinked his big, clear, sapphire eyes again. At that moment Kid _knew_ the once used to be mature detective was gone… He was like a real kid now, _in fact he seems to me more like a newborn baby than anything else._

"-cle! Can you fly? _Ne_, Uncle, do you hear me? Can you fly?"

He brought the magician back from his trance as the voice became more and more demanding.

"… You still didn't answer me? What's your name?" The Kid pressed on.

"_Moo~_, Uncle! You already know it! You just called me by it not too long ago!" He huffed and pouted, a thing Kid never recalled seeing him do. _Was my…_

"Its Conan Edogawa, and I'm Kogoro Mouri's son… Happy?"

_My Tantei-kun really is… he's… _

_He's Gone_

.

.

.

"_U…Uncle_? What's making you cry, _Uncle_? Did… did I do something bad? _Answer ME!_"

_Am I imagining it or do I hear a tint of fear in his voice?_ Thought the Kid.

"Wh-whatever I did I didn't mean it! I-I swear I didn't mean it! STOP CRYING! I didn't do anything bad! I SWEAR! I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm _SO SORRY!_ JUST STOP CRYING! I'm sorry, I'm sorry…"

Conan's voice faded as he started crying. His tears, which were never seen before this day, came cascading down with no restriction- but it wasn't due to sadness. They were shed out of… _fear_. Conan feared him, and all the teen did was let a single tear drop down his cheek as realization of the situation downed on him.

"_Huh_? Conan? Why… why are you… crying? Are you… _scared?..._ because of me? Don't… don't back away from me!... I won't hurt you..." The hesitant teen begged pathetically at the baffling reaction he got from the boy.

No, the boy didn't fear him, he feared his _actions_. His whole body tensed as the magician reached a hand out to him. The baffling child kept his eyes on Kid's body, ready to react at the slightest shift of his muscles.

Conan disregarded the elder's pleas and continued stepping backwards, no matter how much the thief screamed and begged him to stop, he wouldn't. He closed the distance between himself and the building's brink. Kid feared if he'd moved, the boy would run- and If he didn't stop him soon, _he'd fall_!

"Conan, _Stop_! YOU'LL FALL! I said _STOP_! I mean it! _WATCH OUT!" _And just as the teen feared, the boy did reach the edge, and he'd fallen off of it. Tripping on the rim, he fell out of the Kid's line of sight, his small body made it with ease between the poles of the rail… without the little boy noticing it.

Kid's body moved on its own, as it rushed after the falling form- ready for flight, he took off.

He remembered the boy doing this before. Last time he tripped _willingly_, and he was prepared, parachute and all, but _this time_ he doubt it.

After some searching in the dead air between them and the ground, Kid finally caught sight of the hideous, patched up bunny that Conan still hugged tightly with both his hands, but now he hugged it for dear life, hoping for the stuffed animal to somehow save him from the fall- from the ground that seemed to come close faster than should at this speed. _Not even over my dead body well I let him get smashed on that cold concrete!_

Thanks to Kid's experience in flying the glider, he managed to close the distance between him and the boy. He stretched and overextended his arm ineffectively a couple of times before he _finally_ did it!_ Phew!~_

"Say, Boya, are you alright?" He got no answer even after waiting a few seconds more. "... _Oi, Conan!_ Do you hear me? Are you hurt?"

Panic raised inside Kid's chest as the boy stayed still without uttering a word. It freaked the magician out more that he was able to _feel_ the boy's trembling hands arms, squeezing the life out of him as he hung, face pressed into his shoulder. He didn't know if that was a good or a bad sign…

The bunny was still there, to Kid's despair. The thing was being hugged over Kid's abused neck.

_Sigh… as long as he's fine._

…_I _hope_ he_ _is fine…_

Kid roamed the sky aimlessly, for he had no place in his mind to land. While he held tightly to the boy in his arms, he heard a mumble coming from said boy.

"… …"

"Did you say something?" The teen urged the boy to repeat.

"You flew…" the soft, small voice came to his ears.

"Uh-ha…? Ah... you did mention something about flying before..." Kid recalled the previous conversation.

"…you can fly…" the little boy repeated, as though he couldn't believe it.

"…Why? What does it matter to you if I fly or not?... Do… Do you want to fly?" The ever famous, flamboyant thief, wasn't able to hold a conversation with this little boy in his hands without stuttering, fearing if he said or did just a thing wrong, then he'll be in for another panic attack.

"…I am" came the obvious answer.

"_Hah,_ True!" Kid tried to humor the younger boy in his hands. "Didn't even notice, silly me."

"…" Silence was the reply to his attempts at conversation…

But Kid feared that the silence wasn't in reply to his weak attempt, but to something else… "…Conan?"

"…" Again, no answer. Fear started spying it's way in the thief's mind.

"_Boy?_... Is something wrong?... If you're alright than answer, _Damn it!_" the fear just kept on growing worse and worse and his imagination ran wild.

The concern forced the thief to peak on his rider's face for any tell tale signs on his health being poor. But just as he managed with lots of twisting, he had to return his attention to his flying before they could've gotten tangled, or worse, electrocuted, by the high voltage wires…

Finally, after a good fifteen minutes of recklessly soaring in the skies with a sudden lack of skills and many possible accidents avoided due to Lady Luck's mercifulness, they reached a discreet place suitable for landing. A park, without anyone about, where they made it safely to the ground. Putting the boy down, Kid noticed that the boy's clothing were too light for the chilly night's breeze, but as he was unable to find a better material so he took off his white suit jacket and placed it over the shivering shoulders of the little boy. It made a very amusing image that the jacket ended up covering his whole body, _quite cutely_, he let himself think.

Putting that aside, he checked the boy's health with whatever he could identify in this dark. After a full inspection he came to the conclusion that it was just a slight nausea, nothing too serious.

" Are you sick from that little trip?" Kid asked, already knowing the answer, as he searched his only Kami-knows-how-many hidden pockets for something.

The boy shook his head rather fast from one side to the other, but then he stopped suddenly, getting a little dizzy from the motion. He thought a moment and then nodded his head affirmatively slowly and unsurely before signing with his hand using his thumb and finger, "… a bit" he said

A gentle, caring smile slipped Kid's conscious when he saw the little '_cute' _display in front of him.

"Here," he said, handing the small boy a pill from amongst similar others inside the small bottle he finally found- a secrete stash in emergency cases if he ever needed them. "This should help."

Normally you'd expect one of two reactions, either take it and be grateful, or be loyal to the universal rule _'Never take things from stranger_' and refuse it. Yet the little protagonist did none.

Instead, the boy reacted to it with **_fear_**.

The boy turned a whole one-eighty degrees from being cutely sick to full of terror and sheer fright! With the snap of fingers,… all because of one small round tablet of medicine. _I'm sure he won't even feel it pass down his throat_, thought Kid, _yet_ _that's what I get for trying to be civil_!

The little boy's midnight blue eyes enlarged and he ran away from the offending hand that held the cursed object.

"W- What's wrong? Did I do something bad? Is it the pill? Don't hide! You don't need to take it! Here, I'll even throw it if you want! I won't make you take it!" No need to mention Kid immediately had a panic attack of his own as he tried to coax the other out of his hiding spot and win back what ever little trust he had to begin with.

To show him that he meant it Kid truly did throw the pill away and hoped the boy would believe him.

_This is just NOT my day…_

_Sigh…_

**Don't forget to Review ****_Please!_**


	2. Chapter 2

After half an hour of sweet talking the kid into getting out of his hiding place, he finally peeked but kept a tight grip on the bench's leg not ready yet to let go. More than two hours had passed since I left the rooftop with the kid. I wonder what that Mouri-san or Nakamori-keibu are thinking right now, I'm pretty sure it is something along the lines of 'Oh great not only does he steal gems and jewels, but also children gone wrong in the head. GO! Go after him, after the kidnapper! Who knows he might even end up being a pervert as well! '

As much I like my force and their chases, but no thank you. Not this time! Back to the problem at hand I need to do something, I just have no idea! Maybe I should start by returning him to Mouri's house. Sigh; forget it first is getting him to come to me!

Come on, I'm a magician. It shouldn't be that hard. Let us try juggling colorful balls; there is no kid that'll resist that! And we'll start with a blue ball!

"Oi kid, don't you like to play with balls? Here, can you tell me what color I'm juggling?"

It seems like that caught his interest, good, good just not good enough! Uh...increase the balls? Oh, here goes nothing!

And so I kept on adding ball after ball after ball to no avail, balls of all colors were flying by now. Ok, what else is there?

Card play…he didn't even bat his eye!

Coin tricks… he lost interest way too quickly.

Ah, what's left? Typical dove out of the hat? What do we have to lose?

I take my hat off and make sure that its inside is clear to Conan "Look," I say, "is there anything in the hat?"

He peeks from behind the bench and confirms that the hat is empty. After it, I proceed with the trick while muttering some famous phrases such as 'abracadabra'. When the trick reached its last stages, all was left is to pull out a dove. Instead, the thing I caught in the hat didn't seem to be anything feathery, in fact, it was furry.

Ok… now that's not how the trick works… What's inside my pretty precious hat?

I pull it out and ta-da! A cat... A freaking black blue-one eyed cat! Where did that come from? I stared straight to the cat's only visible eye as the other was hidden under an eye patch that was decorated with a blue rose. It fled from my hold on its neck and made its way to the kid hastily.

I was surprised to see that Conan had left his refuge and came hurriedly toward the cat… with the creepy bunny.

"C… Ceil!" and a hug, how sweet! Except for its creepiness, that is!

I'll describe it exactly like how I'm seeing it: a black haired kid with long bangs that take up most of his face, plus big spectacles setting on his nose. Add to that a big bunny that comes to the child's shoulder, this bunny is patched up with a variety of many materials that are all of dark colors, such as, dark purple, crimson, dark pink, black, and grey. The bunny looked like something remotely close to the rabbit from Alice in wonderland. And last but not least a big cat, bigger than usual cats can get. That cat had somehow managed to balance on Conan's free hand and its big body had blocked quite the portion of my view of the boy.

Now that I felt the kid's fear had gone I walked towards him, hoping he won't remember the pill. As I thought, he totally forget about it, for he didn't back away or start another panic fit when he saw me approaching him.

"Come on," I hold my hand out, "we should head to your home, it's late at night and you are in the company of a thief, I don't think your oneechan, Ran will tolerate it anymore. I just hope she won't throw me one of her famous Karate kicks as I drop you off." And obviously I won't let you return home alone, not in that state.

"Humph, you're funny…"

"Huh? Why, what did I say?" he said that with a straight face, I don't know whether he means sarcasms or he really means it.

"You said I have a neechan," deep breath "and I don't know any Ran… do you have the wrong person?"

"Huh? ...Of course you have… Mouri-san's daughter, a Karate champion, too"

"*sound of giggle* See, you really are funny…" inhale "tousan doesn't have a girl, only me. There is no one else."

The kid is starting to freak me out all over again! Either, I have the whole thing wrong, or he does. And honestly I'm starting to doubt myself… Not only the whole family relationship makes no sense but also the giggling! I think he giggled, I heard it, but his face was straight no smile no nothing! I wonder if…

"Say Conan, if you think I'm funny you should laugh, or smile at least."

"Hmm…? But I did…"

"Here, say ~Cheese~"

"Cheese~"

As I feared, even the cheese trick didn't work out. He said it alright with the sing song voice, his mouth didn't go upward in fact I think they went downward, plus the straight face. Maybe, he can't smile or laugh… What happened to you tantei-kun?

"Forget it; let's get you home for now. It really is late, and you should be in bed. …Just like all good little kid are…"

I tried saying it the way you do a little child, with a sing song voice but it turned out dry and plain… Oh, where did my rival go?

Third POV:

Kid had changed from his uniform white outfit to a civilian disguise and walked Conan hand in hand to detective Mouri's agency, luckily they weren't far away. The park they landed in happened to be quite close, the cat was still there except now it had balanced itself on the child's shoulders and the bunny was held by its hand and the rest of its body was cleaning the streets.

Not long after they reached the agency where a worried sick detective stood in front of the building running in circles not knowing what to do. The moment said detective caught a glimpse of the walking duo, he ran as fast as his tired legs can to meet them.

"Conan!"

The concerned shout had caught the child by surprise and might have scared him a little as the Phantom thief of the moon found his once rival hiding behind his leg.

Kogoro had noticed the reaction and slowed his pace and softened the firm look on his face.

"Conan, are you alright? Where were you? Nakamori and I had been searching all over for you! What happened?" he asked totally ignoring the presence of the stranger.

"Daddy, I flew… that's all…" Conan said as he moved from behind Kid's leg to where his 'dad' is.

The detective let out a breath he didn't noticing he was holding before he took the fragile, petit, body in his arm and raising him off the ground. As he did so he checked the kid for any injuries he might find, finding nothing he visibly relaxed. Only then did he notice someone was there with them.

"And you are?"

He asked the man without looking, but when he had no answer he saw that the stranger had left, just like a phantom…

"Conan, there was a man here, right? I wasn't imagining, was I?"

"True, there was the Ojiisan you were chasing today"

"Oh, I see… Well, we should go sleep right now; the sun will be up soon."

Early next morning Hattori Heiji came from Osaka to pay his little friend a visit, this will be the first time since Edogawa Conan had… changed. Heiji has heard from his father's friends in the police station about Conan's situation.

Today he came to see how Shinichi Kudou, his mystery loving companion, is faring with everything. Actually, 'til this moment he doesn't believe what he had heard, though he doubts that his acquaintance lied to him. He just wishes that this is all an act, or a false rumour. 'Cause if they (the police) were right then no doubt his friend Shinichi is gone, and most probably replaced by a Conan Edogawa, a name that was never meant to be called by anyone, a person that should have never been born, a being that should never exist. Yet, killing this …this thing would mean killing his friend, the police savior, the teenager that understood him best, the detective that was his partner, the man he looked fondly off. Even if Conan is not meant to be alive his disappearance would mean the disappearance of Kudou, at least for now and until the day the Black Org. has been beaten.

Before knocking on the agency's door he heard some people talking but he wasn't in any mode to try and concentrate on conversation, thus he knocked without any more delay and without caring if he'd be interrupting them.

He was surprised that before he even got to return his hand to his side the door was answered and a blur of something had been released on him and he found his legs tied by it.

"See, I told you Heiji-niichan would be coming today!"

Heiji looked at the speaker who had a hold on his legs preventing him from moving anywhere only to find Edogawa Conan. His shock came from two things: One, he never told Conan or Mouri that he was coming today. Two, the look on the kid's face, though he spoke in cheery voice the face he used to say them was straight, and plain from any happiness the words might have indicated.

"Well, it's good you were right, at least now I can go to investigate this case that been stuck without needing to worry about who to put you with. Hattori you won't mind keeping an eye on him, would you?"

"…Hmm? Uh… not at all…"

Kogoro had caught him off guard as the man was half through wearing his suit jacket, with a piece of toast in his mouth and ready to go out. Keeping Heiji in front of the agency alone with the kid that still had a grip on his legs.

"Ne, ne, Heiji-niichan, did you have breakfast yet?" deep breath "I made some toast for you, actually they're still fresh!"

Again, the joyful sounding voice was accompanied with a straight face.

Conan dragged the still speechless Kansai into the kitchen and set him on the chair presenting him with the promised still hot toasts. Finding him to be hungry, the Kansai had started munching on these quite delicious looking toasts with open arms.

"Thanks, so you remember me, I see, I heard you forget some people who were really close to you…"

"Of course I remember you! After all I like you the most! How can I possibly forget you?" The straight face betrayed any beaming impression his voice suggested. Heiji doesn't know any more if Conan is happy or not. "Ne, ne, Hei-niichan, do you want to go somewhere? Can I go with you too? I don't mind where you take me; just let me stay by your side, please!"

Heiji didn't know what to say to that, the boy, if left would be pleading on his knees and hands, and so, he nodded in agreement.

"And,…Is there a reason for me to forget you?"

Oh, I see, he doesn't know that something's gone wrong in his head. Heiji thought, but he wasn't sure if he was allowed to say anything. So far the kid didn't show any major signs of anything he heard from the police, just the little things.

**I hope to get some ideas from you since I have something in mind but might use some help. What would you like to see happen next? **

**And would you like to have the story a major horror thing or do I keep them to minimum? Will, actually what I'm talking about may not start until maybe 4****th**** or 5****th**** chapter maybe even later on. And as I said I hope you'd tell me what you'd like to happen?**


	3. Chapter 3

Having nothing better to do Heiji took Conan in a tour around the city, even though it should've been the other way round. He thought that maybe on his way he could show Conan some crime scenes he remembers having solved them with the shrunken detective before.

They roamed the city without a target in mind, Heiji changing the course and head towards any crime scene that they happen to be walking close to, and Conan being happy by just walking hand in hand with his favourite niisan no matter where this Niisan is taking him. As for the crime scenes Conan totally didn't react to them in fact it looked more like he didn't even notice them to begin with! That perplexed dear Heiji even more. He didn't know what to think any more, he was sure that a crime scene would bring some sort of a reaction. He was even prepared, for panic, fear, pain, headache, something! But no, nothing, no reaction, no blink, no looking back after they passed them, it is like they didn't matter, no worse like they never happened or existed. All he did though throughout their little walk was to lookup whenever he feels Heiji staring at him, and he'd give what the Osakan thinks is an attempt at a childish grin or a smile.

He'd close his eyes and the sound of a grinning child comes out of his throat, and since his lips wouldn't turn upward his face would look plain and straight. He wondered if Conan knew that his attempts are failings. He didn't know what Conan really tried to convey with his face expression, but he knew that the brat's feelings were genuine and that the child truly felt like he doesn't bear any worries of the world on top of his shoulder, like taking down a black org. or making sure the Shounen tantei club doesn't get itself in trouble, only then did he notice something." That was the first time that his friend ever smiled (though not visibly) maybe not with his mouth, but with his eyes. They were shining, he doesn't remember when there was a time where Conan (Kudou) was this happy, aside that time when he knew he was going to meet his favourite soccer player. Back then he remembers when he commented that Kudou looked like a child that was just given free candy.

Heiji lost hope in luring a reaction out of his shrimp sized friend, and more importantly he felt Conan to be better off like that. Better off without any interest in mad killers or dangerous case. He was finally ready to except the truth, or to put it without that cursed would that a lot of people who seek it and ruined loads of lives, he was finally ready to except the reality, the facts, and wished for the best of his friend, that Shinichi Kudou never returns, at least not to this body, for it had just found itself a new owner a boy by the name of Conan Edogawa.

Heiji relaxed to the thought and tightened his grip on the boys hand

"Nani? Finally reached a conclusion?"

"Hm...? What are you talking about?"

"Because you seemed really restless before, while holding my hand, l feared that you might have been bothered by me. I thought that you…me. But just now you relaxed, why?"

Did he just say 'hate' under his breathe "You were concerned with that? Don't mind it! I was just thinking of something stupid, and finally came to a conclusion for it, don't bother with it, as said it is something really, really stupid and I shouldn't have even bothered with it to begin with."

The boy looked up towards the teen, he stared awhile trying to make sure that he's not lying, when he saw no traces of any lies he relaxed and gave the tanned (dark) skin detective one of his failed smiles.

As the two turned a corner they were seconds from bumping into a group of teens that were minding their own business. After Heiji apologized he was about to continue his walk when a voice froze him to the spot. He looked back to where the voice came from and saw the one detective he just thought was ok to disappear. In front of him stood one Shinichi Kudou. He stared dumbly at the face of his friend without taking a good look at his surrounding and seeing the other British blond detective standing next to his friend. He couldn't help but to utter the one word that was revolving in his head "Kudou".

"Huh?" 'Kudou' said.

"You… You are Kudou… H… how?"

"Huh? Oh no, no, no! You got it wrong!"

"You actually think this thief here is the great detective of east? Please you are insulting all fellow detectives around the world!"

"…..Hakuba?"

0bviously, Heiji wasn't expecting to see his shrunken friend who is right now holding his hand back to his original body that isn't Conan, or… Uh… There is no way to explain the situation of what was going on is his head for he himself doesn't understand. It is more like a storm that hit his head. Basically, it was confusing enough to not only see Kudou, but to also see him with the British detective.

"You are clearly mistaken me to someone else. Let me introduce myself properly, my name is Kuroba Kaito and I am Hakuba-kun's classmates, as it seems you know him?"

Just to make sure, Heiji took a good look at the child that was currently still holding on to his hand as he hid behind his legs staring worryingly ahead at one of the people in that group. After making sure that Conan (or the once upon a time Kudou)is safe with him, he took his time to observe the group of three that he should've done long time ago. At the left stood Kudou's look alike next to him the brit detective and last a girl who looks remarkably like Ran except for the wild hair.

Now that he took his time to look he noticed that the look alike had some differences, such as the eyes weren't sapphire blue but violet, his hair was messy, and his built was slightly different. It was much more trained and looked like the boy played gymnastic sports rather than soccer. He couldn't help but feel stupid to actually think that was Kudou. Hmm… forget that, what was Conan worried about, is it Hakuba?

Heiji ignored Hakuba's blabbering on how stupid he was to mistake his friend with the legendary detective, and instead concentrated on Conan. Following his gaze, his eyes fell upon the girl; she was looking silently as she kept a note of what was going on. Why the girl? It would be understandable if it was the look alike or Hakuba, but why the girl? He didn't meet her before, did he? She does look like Ran though.

"-just what you'd think of a hot blooded detective do you ev-"

"Is something wrong Conan?"

Heiji's cutting him off as he talked made the blond realize Conan's presence for the first time. At seeing the boy he abruptly went silent for he knew of his state from his connections in the police station. His silence grew awkward as he didn't know what to do at a time like this. As for his two friends Kaito stared at the kid without anything special. But the strangeness lay within Aoko. She looked sort of restless. Then he averted his eyes toward the dark skinned detective, he looked worried. Last but not least the boy…

Conan did seem to be acting differently then what he remembered from the times they teamed up to solve some cases. Even if he knew of his mental health, he has yet to see any evidence yet. If he can he would like to have some time to talk with him. Regardless of what others might think, he really did care for the kid, he held for him some sort of respect, the type you'd have towards a superior detective, though he wouldn't admit it, if he did he most likely won't ever break free from one magician's long tongue. Nonetheless with Heiji here it looks like it's not going happen. But it's odd, the way the kid is looking at Aoko.

"… …."

"Raise your voice, I can't hear you" Heiji concern just grew.

"…Get out of here -"

"Hmm? Who are you talking about? Do you mean me?"

"*mumble* the girl *mumbles* dangerous please!"

To say that Heiji was confused would be an understatement he looked back to what seems to be Conan's fear, the girl…?

"Hakuba, who is that girl?"

"*raise eyebrow* She? This girl is Nakamori's daughter, why?"

"What's so dangerous about her Conan?"

"What is it boy? Is there something wrong?"

As Aoko spoke she stepped closer to the child and kneeled down a bit. But before she got anywhere too near to him the boy shouted.

"STAY AWAY! Don't get any nearer! STAY AWAY! Don't you DARE come here! Hei-niichan please, send her away, far, far away! Hei-niichan!"

Knowing nothing better, Heiji did the first thing he could think of, he wrapped his arms around Conan and held him protectively close to his chest, hoping that this will calm down the hysteric child.

"Conan. Calm down! No one's going to hurt you, I swear! Nakamori-san, would you please keep your distance I'm sorry that it ended up like, I hope you'd understand"

"Huh. uh *Nod* of course, don't mind it." Aoko stepped back unsurely and returned to her friends' side. It wasn't only her who was speechlessly surprised but her two comrades as well. As Conan's shrieks grew louder Aoko's only thought was to get away, get far away from the kid and his screams, and that's exactly what she did after excusing herself. The moment she went out of sight, Conan started to visibly relax. Slowly, slowly, the screams faded and so did the boy's strength. He started to dose off on Heiji's chest until finally his shrieks turned into tired huffs. Clutching tightly to the teen's shirt, he refused to let go even when he had lost all his strength and fell to sleep. A nice, quiet, peaceful slumber that he hopped he wouldn't be bothered out of any time soon.

Not wanting to upset the, sleeping boy he made sure to have a good hold of him and began to make his way back to the agency. But the other two teens weren't about to let him off the hook that easily, and so Kaito was the one to break the thick silence.

"Excuse me! I don't mean to be curious, but is the boy alright? He didn't seem like it, that's for sure. What was that all about?"

At that moment was Kid's only chance to know what happened, even though if he stood and thought a second he would've found that there is a very low possibility for someone to tell their problems to a total stranger. That is why Hakuba's butting in was good for once.

"I was meaning to ask the something. I've been concerned ever since I heard the rumour at the police stations. I never thought it would be true. Say, they never did mention what caused it all. All I've caught so far that he was involved in a case before - you know. So, I was wondering if you wouldn't mind telling me what happened?"

'Oi ,oi ,I'm here too!'Kaito's thought were interrupted by Heiji's intense glare. He gave his glare to both of them before turning back to his track.

"Hey! Where are you going! Come back! At least say something before you go!"

"You're free to come back another time; I'll be spending the whole summer at this brat's house. You know where that is, don't you? But don't you dare think you can just sneak around and talk to him secretly!"

Heiji's threat was conveyed even without him having to look them in the eyes. He finished his little speech while walking, not bothering to give them a proper farewell

**I hope you enjoyed this chapter and that it came up to you expectations. And for the record I wrote almost the whole chapter on the Genius tablet by free hand writing it since I was in no mode to typing.**

**Don't forget to review any of your thoughts that you'd like to see on the next chapter I'll make sure to keep it in mind as I write the next chapter. **

**And I want to thank all those who reviewed and especially for Fran-chan (FantasyFanatic01) for extremely helping me out for this chapter and hopefully the next and the next. (If you don't mind)**

**plus I hope I didn't miss any wrong words in while reviewing it, but honestly it is near to 2:00 am a the morning and I'm heading straight off to sleep. Again I hope this chapter or the later ones aren't taking too long. **

**P:S: By the way, this practically the same I only fully reviewed it and corrected all that I could find, I hope I found all the mistakes.**


	4. Chapter 4

**The italics were getting on my nerves. Nothing really changed. But maybe later…**

Kogoro Mouri returned home late afternoon after finishing his case without any trouble having it been an easy case. Once he entered the house he found it quiet, therefore he guessed that Heiji and Conan where still out. He walked to his room to change and get ready to prepare some dinner, but was greeted with the view of a sleeping Conan cuddling closely to the Osakan teen, who he also had Conan sealed protectively in his arms. The two were sleeping on futons on the ground right beside Kogoro's bed making the already small room cramped. Mouri couldn't help but to smile at the scene, if he didn't know better he would have thought the two to be siblings.

And took a note to ask for Ran's room to be cleared or moved to Eri's house since she moved to her mother's house ever since Conan… anyways the doctor did say this maybe permanent or may not, because his case, even though it is close to other known diagnosis , wasn't 100% like them. If it ended up to be then there is a high possibility that Conan won't return to how he used to be. That may result in Ran's move from being temporary to permanent.

Fearing from bothering them he settled with hanging his jacket on the door's handle. As he turned his back, he head shuffling sound. He looked back to the source only to find that Conan had just woken up. Still dizzy he looked around him in a haze, once he found Kogoro he reached. Out his small, chubby arms and opened his petite mouth in an attempt to speak before Kogoro shushed him.

"*whisper* Shh, don't wake him up" and pointed towards Heiji.

Conan followed his 'tousan's' instructions and held his hands above his mouth, making sure no sound escapes from him, then slowly rose up and tip-toed his way to the doors. When he successfully made it without waking up the Osaka teen, he launched forward and jumped in to Mouri's arms.

When the detective made sure his hold is secure, he slowly and quietly closed the door He made his way to the kitchen and then sat Conan on a chair. "Do you want to eat something on should I do anything?"

"Anything would do"

By the time they finished dinner, cleared up, and watched some TV. It was already sleep time. Kogoro went to his bed and Conan to his futon without waking up the sleeping Heiji, and so the night rolled by. Sometime past midnight Heiji felt thirsty, and therefore he sat up. Loyal to his detective instincts he didn't skip scanning the room for any changes. The blankets on Conan's side indicated that he had woken up and the lump at Mori**'**s bed showed the detective to be in deep sleep**.** A lookout the window had him** guess the time, other than that** everything was in its place exactly as he remembered before sleeping. 

He tiptoed his way to the door so no one wakes up. Just what you'd expect from a small apartment at the middle of the night, silent and totally still, as he made his way to the kitchen he noticed something from the corner of his eye. The bunny he remembered being in the room before he slept was sitting head downward, with its back to the outside wall of the room near the door. A location people would most likely miss. He was never fond of that patchwork and was happy when Conan didn't bring it with them on their walk that morning. It's not like the High school detective was scared or anything, after all he didn't believe in evil walking bunnies but for some reason he keeps feeling a strange aura from the bunny, the aura you might feel from a sad, distant, prisoned human. The strangeness of this feeling didn't help in sympathizing with the bunny, even though his sensitivity for the human feelings are almost always right, in fact he doesn't remember a time when he didn't get it right. Yes, he knew he shouldn't be feeling such humane aura from stuffed animals, and that it was silly, but it is not like he can control it.

He ignored the bunny's change of place guessing it might have been Conan himself, and continued his mission to his much needed water. The first thing his eyes laid on after switching the lights on was the note left from Mouri to him stuck on the fridge's door reminding him to eat since he hadn't had dinner yet. Disregarding the note, he opened the door and took hold of the cold bottle of life. As he gulped down the clear liquid he felt eyes on him watching his every movement. He quickly glanced behind him. This was caused by his survivor instinct jumping to action, and saw nothing. Being in front of the fridge that was at the opposite side of the door gave him a full view of the kitchen. The sink, the basin and the cabinets on his left and a small table with two chairs to his right, and the only wall connecting those two was the door.**(1)** There was nothing out of the ordinary. Maybe my imagination he said to himself.

He looked in front of him again, drank some more before returning the bottle back to its place. He closed the fridge's door and walked back to lie under the comfy blankets and return to the nice space of nothingness. As he passed the table he couldn't help but to stop in his tracks and stare right ahead, not daring to even move his eyeballs he concentrated to the edge of his vision. There, Cornered by the table's leg and wall sat the freakish bunny. The thought of it walking on its own made Heiji's hair to stand on its end. Still not daring to look at it, or even move his eyes, he continued walking slowly to out of the kitchen and into the room. When he reached he went under the blanket and covered his head like a little child scared from the monster under the bed, and to help him sleep he started mumbling to himself, trying to convince himself that he was just sleepy, that it was his imagination, his brain playing tricks on him and that he'd look into it and prove his eyes wrong when he woke up. He did fall asleep but it wasn't without a few nightmares of our dear bunny**.**

The night went by and the sun rose, with it the room's folks awoke. Kogoro and Conan woke up as usual while Heiji was still unsettled of yesterday's/early morning event but didn't show it. The morning's rituals went by as always. Having nothing to do after Mouri left they decided that a walk to the park with some ice cream will most surely prove to be a good waste of time. But, to their surprise they heard the doorbell, and to spice it more Hakuba Saguru was on the other side of the door, and he was not alone but the Kudou look alike was there too.

"What are you doing here at this early hour?"

"I'm pretty sure it is past 10 according to my very accurate watch, it is not that early"

"Don't smart mouth me! You know exactly what I mean!"

"You said so yourself Yesterday, if we wanted to get answers to come to you and not to secretly steal Edogawa-kun for it."

"Ok, you I understand, what about him? Last checked he shouldn't be concerned with the boy"

"I came because Aoko was concerned and wanted me to get her some explanation, after all he did make quite the scene for her in public"

"If thats the case, get out."

"Huh? But I promised to get her an explanation!"

"Create her a story why should I care? After all why would I share such information with a stranger?"

"… Can't I say anything to change your mind?"

"No"

"Not even if I said I care for the child's will being?"

"No, now get out! LEAVE!"

"0K, okay, you don't need to shout damn it"

And thus Kudou's look alike, aka Kaito, left but not before planting a bug on the blonde detective when he wasn't looking. After he left the building he quickly searched for a place to hide and listen into them. Fortunately, just as he found a good spot they had started talking again.

The two detectives then proceeded to the office with Conan right by Heiji's heel, but before they got to enter Conan pulled on Heiji's pants demanding attention.

"… ice cream?"

"Oh true I did promise, ne Hakuba, you wouldn't mind talking in the park, right?"

"Suit yourself"

For Conan's relief the trip to the ice-cream shop near the park started. But it seemed like today he wanted to be extra pampered and managed to get Heiji to put him on his shoulders. Throughout the walk they fell to an awkward silence, Hakuba analysing-the situation and trying to figure out some scenarios of what might have happened before the dark skinned teen told him, and Heiji thinking of the best way to inform the blond detective with what he wants to know. As the two were lost in thought they didn't notice passing the ice-cream shop until Conan pulled at the Osakan's hair in desperate attempt to stop him from going any further and as an alternative to talking since he didn't feel like using his voice much today, maybe because of yesterday's fit? Though he did have lots of sleep.

"Waah, sorry I totally spaced out, so what flavour?"

After every one got their cone of icey paradise, they finally sat down with Conan in the middle while the two sat facing each other. Heiji's face showed uncertainty and deep thinking as he closed his eyes and didn't open them again before he reached a decision to whatever went through his find.

"You can start with when did it happen, then why followed by what exactly did happen. "

"Alright, but do keep in mind it is Mouri occhan that told for I just came yesterday morning and heard from my father's partner about it not too long ago."

Hakuba 's nod was the only indication to him actually listings Heiji took one more glance at Conan who gave another attempt of a toothy grin, but failed. He smiled and then inhaled to start the long story.

"Okay, here goes nothing… according to Occhan it was the beginning of this month… on was it the end of the last? He was not sure when exactly but it was somewhere between three to two weeks ago. Such a short time ago, right? As for the why, it is most likely and the only possible reason is the kidnapping. Conan was kidnapped at that time and wasn't found till a week later (You'd think something as big as that would become the city's talk, but no!) Occhan wasn't contacted for ransom therefore he reported him as missing after Ran had searched for him everywhere. Not knowing what to do, the police started a quiet search party after 24 hours had passed with no sign of him; everyone who knew kept their mouth shuts even the children didn't tell their parents. After a day and a half worth of investigating they turned out with solid evidence of his Kidnapping, they even got an eye witness. They couldn't pin point any exact location to search, for the eye witness's description of the man proved useless, they had to swap the whole city for him. They even got reinforcement from the neighbouring police officer and volunteers who happened to know by choice, not only the Homicide section but everyone such as Kid's force unit and the traffic police helped out. If it wasn't for them searching through every corner, crack in walls, under rocks and high up by helicopter, they didn't spare the seas and lakes as well. if they didn't scan the whole city and its neighbouring parts house by house, inch by inch, keeping in their mind that every and each person on the streets to be suspicious including the old and Young children of barely 8 years. If it wasn't for all that, they wouldn't have found him in an invisible part of the city. A place where no one stumbles by chance or intentionally if it wasn't for their determination to not leave a nook of this city and maybe if needed, this country unattended, he would still be there staring into bloody nothingness and would have faded with the dankness of the place with no escape or light to top it off."

"In what… state was he found in?"

"*Pft* State? Luckily Occhan had described it so vividly that I can practically see it as if **I** was there myself, which I wish. Inside an abandoned warehouse, he sat against a wall at the far end where the sunset rays couldn't reach on at least the ones who found it couldn't see him clearly from their position. They stood for a moment without moving straining their eyes to make sure if he was there or No. By that time the rest had reached and they took their first steps. They saw him, that's for sure, just not in the best conditions. He was awake at that time, or so his opened eyes suggested. They were staring right ahead to the direction his legs were stretched out towards, looking and seeing nothing in their way. His sapphire blue eyes were dull, and his limbs fell motionless on either side. As they stepped further in they saw the sunset's rays hit him and that gave the metallic liquid he was showered in a more eerie feeling to it. He didn't acknowledge them as they came within his view, he didn't seem to notice anything at all, and he just continued staring at nothingness. They took their eyes off of him for a sec and scanned their surrounding; they saw the corps of a middle aged man that fitted the eye witness's description. But they were wrong, he was not dead, just unconscious for their luck, as they checked him they found him armed with some dangerous equipment beside the typical old gun and pocket knife he had on some torture tools of the medieval century. After they gave up on Conan reacting the waiting paramedics took him to the ambulance car outside, and the police hauled the man to their car. An investigation the next day of the warehouse discovered its basement that hid so many torturing methods that not even the police or anyone for that matter may use while forcing someone to talk, it was just like something out it of a horror movie.

As for him, the doctors found evidence of these old looking machines working perfectly. He was scarred all over his body and miraculously made out in one piece, for the doctors saw many attempts of dismembering, and mutilating the child. His mental state? *Pft* He wake up from after the doctors put him forcefully to sleep, he opened his eyelids and stayed still didn't even bother to take in his new surroundings, not showing any signs of relief to be out of that dark place, he just stared at the ceiling. Ran who had slept the night beside him alongside her father had woken up and from her happiness to find Conan wake and had screamed her happiness out of here chest Occhan was awake and he kept his eyes on Conan for any body language throughout the night, therefore he noticed every twitch as he slept and every reaction since he awoke. When Ran shrieked Conan didn't react and his eyes starred at her dully. It was only when she jumped to hug him with tears cascading down her cheeks did he react. And not well. In a blink of an eye he managed to throw Neechan to the floor, she stood there not sure what happened until she noticed the thick liquid mixing with the drying tears and the pain in her stomach. Mouri was even more dazzled. He couldn't see what exactly happened but he saw a blur of movement and therefore he replayed the event in slow motion. The only thing he managed to figure out from the memory and the sheets of the bed, that he had somehow landed a kick on Ran's stomach and scratched her check conveying aloud and crystal clear message. 'Stay the Fuck away from me!'

During the first five days he spent at the hospital, he made it even clearer that he hated the female gender and was alright with males. But as visitors went in and out, it turned out to women except for a selected few and little girls such as his two friends were totally alright, nevertheless due to his violent fits towards his daughter he had to ask from her to move to her mother's house for her safety, he'd even go as far as attempt stabbing with pencils. And from that time he was like that, somewhere in the middle between a child and violent personality, will it seems like lately he had settled down."

**1: I totally forget how the Mouri's Kitchen is like and therefore described it as how i imagined it.**

**I hope i didn't miss any mistakes; after all there is a limit to how many times a person can reread paragraphs and whole story.**

**I DEEPLY apologized for the late update the only excuse i can give is, electricity cut off for three days, guests and above all laziness, I am sorry.**

**I hope the chapter was good and your ideas are dearly appreciated if you felt like suggesting a little this or that or even the continuation of the plot i would take you thoughts to mind seriously. **

**Enjoy and have a nice day/night**

**As for **anie6142 **who reviewed on Chapter 2 but since you weren't signed in i couldn't reply**, **yes i meant him the one and only ciel, ma actually you just gave me an idea! THANX man i LOVE you! and everyone who reviews ^^** you never know what kind of a review can get me inspired for the next chapter. I'm seriously talking though you totally gave me an idea to add to the list!


	5. Chapter 5

_Ne, Haibara no matter what you are told, no matter what they tell you… please don't leave my side…_

* * *

"…"

"If you get it, I hope you won't bother us anymore. Just leave and keep that thing (A/N: thing being Kaito) from bugging us"

"You mean you are just going to leave him? You won't do anything to change that? Thought you were his closest friend regardless of age difference, but to just let it be isn't that a bit too insensitive even from you?"

"Just, just leave it"

"But!"

"No Buts! Get outta here!"

"…? What got into you? You've been quite the aggressive one lately… Are you sure nothing happened to you too?"

"Look, you don't even begin to understand half of what I'm going through! For you, he had barely changed. He might be a little more violent, a little more nagging, more acting his age. But for me? He's a whole lot another person! Hakuba you don't understand! You don't even begin to understand! I… I'm… I'm boiling in the inside! I'm BOILING Hakuba! I'm proud to say _I_ knew him better than anyone, better than Ran and Occhan that lived with him under the same roof! I knew him better than his peers and the Shounen Tantei! I knew him second to no one but that girl and the Hakase! Hakuba, can you imagine? Can you imagine? The one in front of me is nothing compared to the one I knew! The difference is too big! I… it's…it's killing me, Hakuba. It's Killing Me!"

"…" Hakuba couldn't open his mouth or say anything as he saw the tears on the edge of Heiji's tears falling without restrictions or notice.

"Hakuba I… I… I know this may sound awkward and odd and whatever you want to say, but I used to look up at him as an Ideal… _I_ used to look up to him with utmost respect and now, now he is the one looking up to me.. Do you know the amount of pressure _I_ feel? I… Hakuba I don't know what to do? I'm dying inside… I'm dying Hakuba! My friend will never be again. He's lost, I lost him. I lost my friend, Hakuba. I was never close to anyone as I was to him, I held him dearly. I would take a million bullets for him and would happily kill for him! I… I _**loved**_ him, Hakuba… But, but he will never come back again, he's… he is dead. Do you even begin to understand?"

By now Heiji's tears were surging unhindered from his green, sad, miserable filled eyes. The blond brit-detective felt his heart tighten as he watched his most hated detective pour out his emotions out in front of him. A tent of red made its way to his cheeks making him change every thought he ever had on the Osakaan.

Heiji was brought out of his crying fit by a small hand making its way across his lap to his hands that were lying there trembling from the force of his crying. He stared surprised at the hand before looking at its owner who was looking up at him with eyes full of guilt and sadness. The childish face and the cheeks full of baby fat and the dejected expression on it had little ice cream staining it forcing Heiji to crack a smile on that. The boy looked confused so did the blond spectator who kept a tag on every movement unfolding in front of him.

"…? Hei-nii?"

"*chuckle* Sorry, I made you worry"

As he apologized he removed his hand being held by the chibi ones and moved it towards the mentioned chibi's face. Using his thumb he slid it across his cheeks removing the dirt of his little friend.

"Come on, if we stay any longer we might be late to your appointment, excuse us" (A/n Am I making him talk a bit too polite?)

"Appointment? Doctor's appointment, right?"

Heiji nodded his head before leaving the table with Conan skipping right after him, they left Hakuba sitting alone to try to comprehend and organize everything he's heard so far. _Well, _he thought, _first let's get to the annoying magician that been following us since we left the office, and then I'll analyse all the information I got today._

* * *

_Tell me why…_

_Tell me why _

_Why,_

_Why,_

_WHY!_

_Why is it that even if they are mine, He takes them?_

_Why is it even though it is me, no one sees me?_

_Why is it even though I met/saw him first, _He_ took him?_

_Why is it that no matter what I say, they only see Him?_

_Why did He take him from me?_

_I met Hattori Heiji,_

_I knew Hattori Heiji, _

_So why_

_Why did he take Him?_

_Why can he only see Him?_

_Why can Heiji only see Him?_

_Even though _I_ am closer_

_Even though _I_ am real_

_Much more real than He can ever be_

_More real than _He _can ever even wish for since that day!_

I_'ve been around Heiji more than He was_

_More than He will ever be… _

* * *

"Here catch!"

"H-hey!" Kaito caught his spying device after the blond threw it carelessly before falling to the ground and breaking. "Watch it! This is fragile!"

"Had fun prying on others secrets?" Hakuba used an accusing toneas he walked past the thief, shoving him forcefully without sparing him a glance. "And Aoko didn't ask anything from you. What reason do you have to snoop around someone else's business? Unless you're Kid now that would be understandable, after all wouldn't the famous thief want to keep tabs on his tantei's?"

"Hm? What are you talking about? I don't understand what you are trying to imply! I was just curious on my idol magician's tantei acting like that, that's all there is to it!" He said without the slightest tension showing up after a year or so playing this game with the blonde without getting tired of it.

"Humph, yeah right! I'm just telling you Kuroba don't meddle in others privacy. Got it, Thief."

He ran and when he was ahead of Hakuba, he faced him as he ran backwards and gave him a cheeky grin. With that grin Kaito closed the conversation and kept waking.

When the blond finally became conscious of his surrounding he found himself in front a hospital. He glared at his companion that kept the calm and cheeky grin on, and the same gut who had him lead by the hand like a little child without him noticing.

"I…I freakin' hate you!"

"I love you too!" *blow kiss*

* * *

He _took my life!_

He _came out of the blue and just like that took it_

He_ took it like it was his_

He _took it like it was always His!_

* * *

"Don't worry, so far the scan showed no danger on him. He's doing fine, physically and brain wise that is, anything else is related to phycology. You should probably ask someone in that field he'll most likely be much more useful than I or anyone else could ever be. Though I can recommend you a good doctor and a very close friend of mine, I am sure if he knew you were directed by me he'll take especial care of him."

"Thank you Doc that would defiantly help!"

*Ring-ring*

"Ah, Kazu- Excuse me, I need take this call, would you watch over Conan for a bit, I may take long"

"Sure take your time"

Heiji went out the room getting mentally ready for a big loud lecture as he knew that was the only thing he'd find. When the door was securely shut the doctor went behind his office and displayed a board game to play with Conan.

"Ne, Conan-kun how about we play a round by the time your caretaker comes back-?"

"My Friend!"

*blink* "Uh-huh? Oh, right sorry, 'til your friend comes back…"

Other than the little outburst he didn't bother saying anything else and ran towards the door to sneak a peek on the dark skinned teen talking on the phone to the corner outside the corner.

"Conan-kun let your _friend_ have his privacy you shouldn't eavesdrop on him like that, now come on and let's play this game you will for sure like it."

"If you want to play that much that cat could beat you fast"

"Cat? What cat?"

Conan kept his eyes on Heiji from the little opening he did and raised his hand to point at the couch where a black cat with an eye-patch and a blue eye sat right in front of the Doctor, and from the looks of it was there for a while.

"After all he _loves_ to play such games"

The little child gave him a brief smirk, before returning to his original position.

"W-Where did this cat come from?"

"From the window of course don't be silly!"

And the cat moved the first piece full aware of the game's rules while Conan returned to his watch as he mumbling under his breathe something that sounded to the doctor like a ' that bitch, who else can it be but her' but it might be his imagination he thought.

Confused and unaware of what he should do, he surrendered the cat's piercing gaze demanding him to play and took his turn as every sense of logic seemed to escape the room.

* * *

_He's mine!_

_Who said I'd give him up for anyone?_

_Neither for Him nor the girl!_

_He is MINE!_

* * *

"You are impossible! You dragged me with you to spy on their Doctor appointment? How much more insensitive could you be?"

"Ma, ma, calm down or you might pop a vein or two"

"And you are STILL joking! Ughr!"

Kaito didn't just drag Hakuba with him but forced him to eavesdrop on their conversation. That included the odd behaviour of Conan as well, which raised some questions, and Heiji's conversation on the phone with his childhood friend, which to say the least was NOT pleasant.

And now Kaito is dragging to the office were the mentioned above two live, but Hakuba would not have it anymore and finally broke free from the thief's spell and made his way home. Just lost his fun, Kaito lost interest in following the detective and ex-detective duo back home and instead went preparing for his scout that night on his future heist scene.

**_Late that night:(dream)_**

"_Ha…rri! …tori! Wake…!"_

'_that voice, Kudo? Not Conan's but Kudo's?'_

"_Co…an Hatto..!"_

'_Ahh, I can't hear him! What's he trying to say? Conan…?'_

"_Cona.., Ha….ri! Co….n ….. Danger…!"_

'_Conan? Danger? Conan in danger? Is that what you are trying to say Kudo?'_

'_N..—'_

*Smack *_ (I forgot the sound of the Door as it shut T^T so forgive me)_

"Conan?"

Heiji's eye's cracked open at the sound of the main door and his body was on full alert on the sight of Conan's futon empty with the missy blanket on it while Kogoro snore loudly as usual.

"Shit!"

In his head there were just too many thoughts passing all at once making it impossible to think logically or to stick to one. The main two that kept bothering as he ran down the stairway and out to the streets without as much a thought to where he is going, were that Conan was either kidnapped, not a faraway possibility, or he went out on his own in the middle of the night, were no one is as much walking back home even. As he went back through his memorie of the brief quick look he had of the flat before going out he didn't seem to find the freaky bunny in there, did he take it with him? On the streets it was only Heiji running in every direction his foot takes him and the homeless, dot, no one else was out there. Lucky he even had the street lamps to help him see!

"CONAAAANNN!"

.

.

.

On a skyscraper's roof landed a white cladded man. Without as much as a noise he stood gracefully with the still-not full moon behind him, giving him a lithe mysterious aura.

Just as he straightened his back and opened his eyes he finally took notice of his other companion.

"…W-What are you doing here?"

* * *

_**FINALLY! Finally, finished this chapter that didn't seem to want to finish!**_

_**I KNOW, I know I'm late but one main reason is the lack of enough reviews I felt like no one is reading anymore if it wasn't for the Alert I got I would have taken even more time!**_

_**So PLEEEEEEEEEEEAAAAAAAAAASE if you don't want me to take too long Review! Evne if just a Update soon review It shows me that ppl are reading! Though a prefer a full sentence that doesn't contain only two words..**_

_**Again I'm sorry for the late update and hopefully sometime soon you can see my pic of the bunny on my user, just not yet! I'll try to get it up now if I can..**_

_**And hope I see some REVIEWS**_

_**Enjoy and have a nice day/night**_

_**PS: a little something to motivate you to review…**_

_**Is it getting a notch more interesting or a notch more boring? Do you like the story so far or do you think it's going down?**_

_**PSII: IT's up the pic  
**_


	6. Chapter 6

"Take me to the moon"

"…Huh?"

_Ok, that was odd_ thought Kid, after all it's not always you are greeted with such a request. Besides, how the heck did Conan know his place? It's obvious that it wasn't a coincidence.

"The moon, take me there.

Take me to where the moon resides"

All the Kid was able to do was to stare with utmost confusion. The child that he had been tailing since their first meeting (after Conan's change in behaviour or as some would like to say the _new_ Conan's appearance) didn't struck him as a commanding person. And now he was asking for a thing he can't understand. Does he mean the bundle of rocks revolving around the earth or the beautiful lithe shining moon in the sky? Which when thinking about it is the same, so couldn't it be he's seeking something else, 'where the moon resides' something like a jewel maybe?

_Oh well let's play along_

"Okay, how about you tell me where that is?"

"Are you kidding me?" he snapped in such an offended tone causing a vein to twitch under the Kid's hat. "Take me to the moon" he raised his hand and pointed to the still not full moon behind Kaito. "You can fly, so take me there. Take me to the cursed moon"

_Cursed?_ "Now, now, tell me, did you sneak out of your house? I bet Heiji would notice and be worried sick with your disappearance –"

"Oi! Are you listening? I said take me to where the bloody stained moon resides!"

*twitch-twitch* _Stay calm Kaito; he's just a normal kid now, even if his straight face and demanding voice were getting on your nerves. But, blood stained?_

"Ano ne~ you do know I am a magician, did you consider using the magical words even once? Maybe then I'll give it a thought…" *twitch-twitch*

"I said -!"

"I GOT IT!" He took a step forward finally having had enough of being disrespected and treated like slave. "The moon, I got it! That's immpos…."

He fell silent on the scene beheld in front of him. The moment he took a loud step forward, making quite the vulgar noise, Conan's attitude took a 180 degree change out of course. While he was arrogant and superior a moment ago, he turned to a terrified feline shutting his eyes firmly enough to prevent any shimmer of ray to enter his retina. As well as hiding behind that patched up bunny while hugging it as tight as to make his knuckles turn white in the mere milliseconds it had all began. His body trembled just as bad as having a seizure would, too.

"W-what's wrong? Why are you scared, again?" This time he learned his lesson and stepped back instead of going anywhere close to the bipolar child.

"Look I'm far away so don't you move from your place, got it?"

Images of the last episode rushed to the surfaced of his memory, and he was consumed with the fear of another fall. This time, unreached.

The boy's shaking didn't get any better; on the contrary he fell to the ground as his knees couldn't hold him up anymore. It wasn't until a few minutes after did his seizure start to slow down, but they lingered for a while as he lowered the bunny and slowly turned his face back, and even slower opened his eyes with unshed tears.

_Kawaii! _ He shook his head quickly the moment he caught himself thinking and mentally slapped his self. _This is not the time to be mesmerized by his cuteness! Though will I be damned if his vulnerable image doesn't make him even more adorable than he already is_

* * *

As for Hakuba Saguru he was awakened form his beauty sleep by a not so beautiful punch to the now not so beautiful face. Now, who owned the punch was a much more interesting question, the fist that had did the sin of ruining the beautiful face belonged to one dark skinned Osakan who claims that he inherited the above mentioned dark skin from his Great grandfather (or was it his grandfather?). The point is Hakuba woke up to the punch of Hattori Heiji (H.H. for short).

"What the fuck! What the heck do you want form me? And it's the middle of the night, for God's sake! Are you blind or something! How did you even get into my house? Forget it, how did you even know where I live?"

"Did you take him? Where is he? I thought I told you NOT TO INTERFER! Bring him back NOW!"

Hakuba was still not fully awake and unable to comprehend what exactly was going on. When his vision became clearer, he instantaneously (I bit my tongue while pronouncing it, tehe!) took in Heiji appearance. He was dressed with nothing to keep the cold night breeze away other than his dark green jacket with a furry hood,( I can't seem to find an image of him wearing such jacket! But who care? It's a fan fiction) a sloppily dressed jeans and an undershirt showing from underneath the opened coat. His face was flushed and he was taking inhaling deep quick breaths from all the running he had done and he had bed hair. Which deduce that he woke up and started running, that brings us to the conclusion that an urgent matter came up… *Hakuba's inner self nodding*

Eh? Wait what was it that he was saying? Maybe that'd explain the hateful glares he's giving me…

"You said…"

"Don't you DARE play Dumb! Where is he? Where is Conan? Tell me NOW!"

"….Conan?"

"I said DON'T YOU DARE PLAY DUMB!"

"But honestly I have no idea where he is, I don't even know he's missing! Well... 'til now at least! "

"*deep breath* Huh? But,… wha…? Then where, where is he?"

Heiji's expression turned from furious to confused with each breath he takes in to try and calm his racing heart.

"Don't ask me. By the way, how did you know where my house is, and how did you get in?"

"Get in? Your house? Dude you are asleep in the middle of the street!"

"Huh?"

True enough, Heiji was saying the truth. Hakuba straightened up to find himself on the grass to the sidewalk of some park, and he wasn't even in his sleepwear!

"Wha-What? Why?"

"You're asking me? I just came by running looking for my bro-…looking for Conan and when I saw you in this state I couldn't help but think that maybe you took Conan and did something to him then he put you to sleep, or that maybe he was kidnaped from you after you kidnaped, or maybe some paedophile took an interest in him and took him as you two were talking, or— "

"Wow, quite the complex scenarios to predict first thing. Does it happen a lot?"

"More than I can count! Wait" and then he started mumbling "there is this and that…. And there is that one, and that two, wait… did that happen or was it a dream, ok that I know was a dream… but that was real and there and…"

"Ok, ok got it! How about you go find your little charge as I try to figure out what the heck I'm doing here?"

But he was too late. Heiji was way too deep in his recounting incidents with the bi-spectacled boy to hear him or his suggestion.

"Oi! Wake up! Hello, either put your head with me on how I got here or look for the kid! Pick!"

"Ah! Stupid this is no time to think of the record but to make sure there will not be another to be added to it!"

Without letting Hakuba to try and open his mouth he was out of sight. As for the poor perplexed blond, he had to stick around and try to understand what it is that got him out here in the first place.

Now, now don't get him wrong it's not that he was uncaring or indifferent to what happened to Conan, but he felt that if he leaves the park he may never know what got him here, in the middle of the night nevertheless, and plus isn't Heiji looking for him? If he can't find him then for sure Hakuba will never do, after all he is one heck of a loyal caretaker. And above that he didn't miss the slip up, the _'looking for my bro-looking for Conan'_ he is all set to bit his hand that Heiji was about to say brother, and you don't just call any kid you know a brother if you don't feel any sort of protectiveness or strong attachment towards him, right?

* * *

"I see Mouri-kun, I'll make sure to keep an out for him, and I'll send him back to you the moment I spot him"

"This is not the missing or runner away's department, why bother taking in the task?" The new addition to division one asked as his curiousness were aroused by the worry his teammates were giving off, from Satou to Takagi to Chiba to even Shiratori.

"That's about Conan, I'm sure. You haven't met him?"

Shiratori was the one to give him an explanation. Well, he tried… _I think_

"He only transferred here 5 days ago, not enough time to meet him yet!" Chiba then turned to the newbie and continued "But didn't you at the very least hear his name? I thought him to be famous around all departments."

The newbie shook his head no "Never"

"Will you shouldn't worry, you are bound to meet him in this department" Satou interrupted "Whether solving, bringing or being the case we never pass a ten days without seeing him, in fact not even 7 days!"

"With the latest events? He is more likely gonna be the trouble or worse the victim we'll be looking not so far from now…"

Megure's solemn tone got the rest in a chain of thoughts of his own, leaving the newbie out of the circle. _And to be honest I hate it_

* * *

At last, Conan had finally stopped panicking and was calm but still hesitant to drop his guard or his bunny. As for Kaito, he finally managed to get over his silly thoughts that were not in the appropriate time of how cute Conan was while petrified, in some obvious way it made him feel like a sadistic or a pervert.

And so an unwelcomed silence fell upon them. For Conan still doesn't feel safe enough to talk, and if he did he'd probably just start the whole 'take me to the moon' thing all over again, and honestly Kaito was not up for it. He doesn't even want to ask about it! And Kaito feared that trying to get the kid to talk would open that topic.

Still he doesn't know what to do with the silence. He might try and ask but for some reason right now no questions came to mind, even though he knows he had tons to ask the _new _Conan listed somewhere in the back of his brain. He looked around to see if anything would trigger his memory, the only thing he did remember was the last episode where Conan fell off, so he thought getting them to safe ground would be a nice distraction for the mean time.

"Conan-kun, how about we go sit in some place closer to the ground and we can talk then?"

The only response he got from the still edgy kid was a curt nod.

Before Kaito made any action he went through in his mind of the best method to get down there. With it being so early in the morning that not even the sun is awake, he doubted and even willing to bet that the elevator isn't working considering this is an office building.

"Alright, you wouldn't mind me holding onto you until we reach, right? Since we are going to fly down"

Another shy nod was his ok sign. He lifted the pintsized kid, held him securely to his chest, and took off to the vast sky.

While the wind gusted through his face threatening to blow the hat off and Conan holding onto him for dear life, he started re-listing the questions he'd ask when they would reach a nice _safe_ place to land. Not too far away from where the free, and awfully quiet, flight had started the perfect place was found. A nice green sidewalk hidden from the eyes of onlookers was situated near to small fountain.

Therefore he flew lower and lower until his legs could touch the ground. He stopped right in front of a bench where he dispatched the kid from him and made him stand on the wood made seat to his eye level without having to crouch down to his height.

He fixed him with a strict unfazed stare and started his roll of queries

"Ok, now we are on ground so you can't fall off, nor can you run in front of speeding cars since we are quite far away from any street. And this time _I_ will be doing the questioning, understood?"

"…. Hai, ojiisan…"

"O..Oji? I'm not that old! And you know it!"

"…"

"Talking about knowing, you know me right?"

"Kaito Kid the Phantom Thief, the Magician of the Silver Sky, Kaito 1412, the thief under the moonlight, and self-proclaimed Last Wizard of the Century"

"… Alright I guess we are getting somewhere. We met before the last heist, right?"

_Let's see what he remembers…_

"_You_ met me on the last heist-"

_I see, so he doesn't remember the ones before… Wait, you?_

"… _I_ met you on the Black Star case"

…_What does he mean by that? Black Star, but the first is the clock tower case…_

"Whilst _He_…"

"He who?"

"…"

_I see, no use trying to pester on it, but he who?_

"Hmm, Ok next, why so clingy to Hattori Heiji? What do you feel towards him?"

"Why care? It's nothing to hide though. Just to make it clear to you and anyone else. Hei-nii is mine. My niichan, and no one's else. No one is to take him from me, I won't let them."

_He said it in a calm, firm and determined voice as if indicating that I'm trying to take tantei-han from him. Wait, today as the hospital… could it be? He is quite the possessive one._

"Oh don't worry I don't have my eyes on him."

_At least not me, though I wonder if Hakuba does?_

"So you love your niichan?"

"More than anything"

"And Kogoro?"

"Won't give him up"

"And me?"

He gave a Cheshire grin as he pointed to himself.

"…"

"Didn't work huh?"

"You're cool"

*Blink-blink*

"You like me?"

"… Maybe"

"So you do like me!"

"…"

For some reason thinking that this weird kid (long stopped thinking of him as tantei-kun) might like him made his heartbeat go faster, and a shade of red threatened to make its way up his cheek.

_Forget it, now is not its time! Ask, ask before you can't anymore… Oh Ran!_

"Alright you seem totally and completely aware of your surroundings and past events; I admit not what I was preparing myself to. So why did you chase Ran away, she used to be your beloved girlfriend, or at least part of the family. So why?"

"WHAT DOES IT MATTER WITH YOU? She was never my girl, _I _never liked her! Don't you ever, EVER mention that Bitch again!"

"Alright, alright! We aren't gonna talk about Ran or anyone you hate! Just don't run off or shut yourself"

Kaito said hastily when he saw the boy turn his head quickly to the side and ready to flee.

_A change of subject, need a change of subject, what to change the subject with… Ah, the bunny!_

"Oh, what a nice bunny! Where did you get it from? Did someone give it to you?"

Conan looked back at him considering the thought of whether to answer him or not.

"Him…" He looked at the bunny seeming to be deep in thought and then he tightened his hold on it. "He… is special"

_Finally a topic that seems normal… to some level_

"Uh-huh! And does it have a name then?"

At hearing the question he was alarmed "Why?" He asked anxiously.

"Hmm? Will I just thought if he was special then you'd have a named it. Am I wrong?"

"He doesn't need me to name him, that would be a disgrace for him, and anyways it's not like he'd _ever_ use it… he's nothing like me" He added the last bit in a hushed voice, yet not too low for Kaito's trained ears.

"…" _Oh come on! The world renewed Phantom thief and gentleman magician is out of words? Impossible! "_Here, cheer up! I don't like gloomy moods, so how about it? Do you like it?"

The best Kaito could come up with was a flower. And a blue flower for that matter…

"Blue"

"Uh, yeah it's blue, unique like it?"

"Blue is sad"

*blink-blink*"ha, true! my apologize, I thought you'd like something unique, didn't bother with the color meaning"

The boy shook his head as he stared fondly at the rose "No, I like it. It's my favorite color"

"Glad you do, guess it was worth the hard time planting it"

"…? You didn't buy it?"

"ii, totally homemade! Wait in this case its home_planted_!"

"he-he, your funny… "

_And his tone is back to our first meeting, not the clock tower or black start first meeting but the more recent first meeting… And you know what? I think I like him like that. Talking in a soft calm relaxed voice is the best I've seen from him, even if it makes me feel like a clown. As happy as he sounds, he still has to quirk those lips at the end some angle of twenty or more 'til it shows he's somehow smiling!_

.

**Ta-da! Chapter six! Liked it?**

**Oh and for those who didn't see it yet don't forget to give me your thought on the pic! It's on my profile and might as well check the others, you never know when those other two I'm working on for Conan would be finished and up! Might be now, today, tomorrow, or after a month! But I would try to put the finishing touches on those two as soon as possible!**

**Oh and again do you think the story's ok so far? Going down? Getting more interesting? Boring? **

**And if you guys would so nice as to help me, or suggest some names for the newbie, and don't worry I'm not planning to give him any major roles, at least not now You never know what might come to mind later on.**

**I hope this one doesn't have as much mistakes, and who knows I might edit the previous chapters for mistakes, I'll be fishing mistakes! Want some for dinner?**

**And as always I hope you have a nice day/night whichever, and do I have to beg for an indication you ppl are reading? **


	7. Chapter 7

_Again, he was brought back by a stranger, the same stranger as the last time even though he was in a different disguise. How do I know? Well, experience. After 10 years or so as a police and later as a detective I'm bound to know these stuff I'm not as stupid as people think I am. The first time the stranger brought Conan back was back when there was Kaito Kid heist and that wasn't more than three days or so ago. For some reason my feelings tell me that the stranger is for sure the Kid, why? I don't know, it's not like he is the only one who can disguise. Maybe because he was gentle in holding the brat, any other person could have just kidnapped him or something. The stranger knew where to drop him like he had known who he is and where he lives, and from what I hear of him he keep tabs on his detectives and the police officers that chase him. Plus anyone that has been to a Kid heist could tell he seems to have a soft spot for the boy._

_As for what am I doing today, well let's start off with staring at a gloomy brat who happens to be latched to an even much gloomier bunny. Seriously such bunnies should be banned, if only I knew where he got it from. Why is Conan being such a brat by pouting and giving the angry attitude to me? Well simple, Hattori Heiji had to go back to Osaka at six or something in the morning, when Conan was asleep. He went right after he came back and found the kid safe; he said he'd be back soon probably late today or early tomorrow. I didn't ask him why and he left, just before noon Conan woke up running excitedly to the office thinking that Hattori was still here, saying something about going to the park and ice cream. _

_And here we are. The reaction of not finding the damn detective has a long time effect, since it's now past one and half and he's still on it._

"Sigh, Alright let's go for some ice cream how about that?"

"…"

"Oh come on! Don't give me the silent treatment. What do you want?"

"…"

"Stop staring will ya, it's not like the damn Osakan would come any faster if you do"

"…"

"Sigh, this is going to be a long day!"

"Park… ice cream…"

"Finally! Alright, we'll go there, better?"

"…"

The two locked the office and went hunting for the ice cream. The café Conan went with Heiji yesterday happened to have some shops on the other side, so as they walked towards the park Conan was window shopping as you might like to refer to it. He'd stop in front of some random exhibited items stare either awed or confused sometimes even disgusted and continue, all the while with the bunny clutched to his side. As Conan lead the way Kogoro followed without a word, even though Conan seemed to be walking more to the side of the park alongside the shops than actually going towards café.

In the middle of their silent march Kogoro saw a figure jogging up to them from the park. He didn't pay it any mind thinking they'd just pass them by, but of course he was wrong.

"Hey, Conan-kun! How are you doing today?"

Even at hearing the stranger talk to him, Conan still didn't abandon viewing the item on the other side of the window. Now that Mouri actually paid attention, he noticed that the boy could pass as Shinichi Kudou at a first glance or at least a brother or a relative.

"And you are?"

The protective father instincts started working; he looked the Kudou look alike suspiciously.

"Me? I'm a friend of his, Right?" He flashed a wide grin at the boy who still had his back to him, "Well, more like Hattori's friend really"

"Hmm, and what do you want from the boy?" *glare*

"Don't worry I'm not going to do anything! I just would like to talk with him for a bit, and maybe play afterwards" Then he turned back to Conan with a still ever growing grin on his face "How about the park were you went with Hattori yesterday?"

Only then did Conan bother turning his head and actually notice the magician.

"…" Without a word he suddenly grabbed Kaito's white shirt with one hand while the other kept its hold on the bunny.

"Conan, are you sure, you want to go with this, this thing?" Kogoro glared at the teen.

"*nod*"

"Don't worry Occhan we'll be with Hakuba Saguru, you've meet him before right?"

"Ah, the brit… BUT I swear do anything and you won't find that head attached anymore!"

"Hai! Got you, but you should make sure you solve your cases. After all I am sure a famous detective such as yourself would have the work over his head, and put your hands and feet in cold water. I'll make sure nothing happens to him!"

"It's you I fear on him from" he mumbled but loud enough for both minors to hear him loud and clear before he went back to the office.

"Hmm, I wonder why he hates me. Did I do something to him?"

"Says the ojisan who disguised as him twice…"

"… You scared me! Talking out of nowhere! At least give a warning"

His only reply was an '_idoit'_ expression on the boy's face.

"Never mind that, what were you talking about? No matter what angle you like at me from I'm but a teenager, I don't deserve the Ojisan from you *pout* And what did you mean by disguise I never did.."

"Kaito kid-sama spare us the quarrel, 'cause I won't participate."

*smile*"Is that so? Oh well, this'll cut the whole thing then"

"I doubt you even have composed a list of questions to ask in such a short time."

"True"

As he started walking, Conan dropped his hand that held onto the white shirt and brought it up to his throat. On the way, Kaito dared and ask the question bugging him since he heard the story through eavesdropping on the two detectives.

"Say, would you answer me this question?"

"Depends"

"Hmm, in that case you most likely won't…"

"Try"

"Hmm, alright then. What, what happened there?"

"…"

"I guess you won't answer this, huh?"

"…It's just as Hei-nii said, no more no less"

"How did you feel? How did you pass such a hard situation? All the torture and the things that only God knows what they might have done, that you aren't telling"

"…Hmph, Are you blind? This is how I passed it" He said smirking as he pointed at himself.

"That's not what I meant, not _who_ I was talking about" he said in with sincerity showing in his violet eyes, the same eyes he was using to stare at the boy next to him. "I meant_ you, _how did _you_ fare with it?"

At hearing his words, Conan froze in steps, shock shown all over his face as he looked at the teen's eyes.

"What? Did I say something I shouldn't have?" he stopped as well.

…*open mouth*…*close it*

And out of now where his expression changed from shock to genuine smile in a blink, the first he ever managed to do correctly since then and the first for Kaito to see ever including both times of this Conan and the old one. But his eyes displayed sadness, deep, deep sadness and sorrow, ones that you can't even begin to compare them to and old man who has lived and still is in misery for all of his 70 or so years. They held misery and sorrow worth decades.

Decades that are older than him…

'His sapphire coloured eyes took a much deeper level, the blue became so deep and dark to an extent that you'd believe you were looking into the depth of the oceans itself, where everything is so, so lonely. You'd forget yourself in it and this vast, wide, deep sea would gulp you up whole, with no mercy or the like. A tear fell astray out of my eye without even asking permission to flow and down my cheek it went. It didn't bother even informing me until it had already dragged the rest with it, it didn't like to be lonely. That tear didn't like to be alone, not like those eyes. It was afraid of being alone, _I_ was afraid of being ever alone. It scared me. It scared me so bad that I froze in my spot and my tears cascaded down the stream on my once grinning face. I couldn't handle it, I wanted out. I want out. But I couldn't. I can't. By now it was already too late; scratch that, the moment I let myself look at his eyes it was long past late to get out. I'm captivated, I was caught, captured put it anyway you like. The irony, on a heist I'd never be caught then why was I now? Yet, I tried. I tried to put it back. I tried to put back my poker face, but it was futile. My poker face is far from my reach, and as long as I'll be frozen mentally and physically I'll never reach it.

His eyes, those blue orbs… I couldn't stop crying. '*

"Idiot, why are _you _crying?" he said with the smile still on. "Shouldn't it be I the one to cry?"

Even still, Kaito couldn't stop the tears couldn't talk as he continued weeping like a baby

"But again, I never had tears. Never will, so why cry? Don't worry that incident is nothing, it's but routine, it's but normal. After all it's me you are talking to, right? So don't worry, it doesn't count as an incident with me. After all, It's _me_, I always end up in such situation, it became part of my daily routine. There is no reason for you to cry. In fact it's quite the contrary, you just made me happy."

"Sniff, sniff, huh? H-how?"

"You just asked about _my_ welfare. You're the first to ever do" His smile broadened even more. As it reached up his cheeks, it forced his eyes to close. And he finally said.

"Thank you"

.

.

.

"You've been touching your throat a lot, does it hurt you?"

Kaito remarked as they finally reached their destination, after fifteen minutes walking at ant's pace.

"? Uh, this" He looked at the hand holding his throat "Not hurt it's more like dry, really, really dry."

"If that's the case" Kaito spotted a waiter coming in their general direction as he searched the ground "Excuse me, a bottle of water please"

"At once"

"Alright, until he comes back let's go over the menu"

"…"*swallow saliva**cough*"Ojisan is a liar"

"Huh?"

"Oh well not like I mind.."

"What are you talking about?"

"You said Hakuba is here but I don't see him"

"Here sir"

Kaito thanked the waiter and proceeded into pouring water into the glass and gave it to Conan "But I wasn't, he really is here. He just got himself caught in some case."

"Hmm" After finishing the glass he reached for the bottle. But since it was out of his reach and to Kaito's side, he stood up and from under the table he made his way towards the teen, leaving the bunny on his chair laying on it back. Popping up right between the other's leg, he sat on his lap and adjusted until he became comfortable before reaching for the bottle and re-pouring the clear liquid, without any explanation or warning like he owned or let's rephrase that, like it was a normal thing.

On the other hand Kaito wasn't the least bit comfy. He couldn't help the blush that threatened to show, but all that was discarded as he noticed that Conan was already on his fifth cup.

"Is something wrong? Maybe you're getting sick"

Conan finished his fifth cup in one go, checked his throat with a look of slight confusion and irritation, and then he turned his head to look up at Kaito. He stared for awhile, debating something in his head, and when his had seemingly reached a conclusion he put it into action.

He kissed Kaito.

**I AM SO SOOOORRRRYYYYY! **

**I know I know, this is unexcusable, but you can somehow say I got a writer block for most of the week… And I know this chapter pretty much had nothing and was shorter than the rest T^T**

**But you see during the break ( or the block) I managed to do quite the number of illustration, though not necessarily all for this story, but I assure you they are mostly Conan realted, check them out and tell me what do you think ^^ Consider them the extra dose to this chapter…**

**Oh and don't worry, as far as the plot I got the most important thing for the next chapter or two, actually they are supposed to be two but if I found nothing to fell the next with alongside the what I have in mind I might end it up as one chapter, if I manage to get it as I have it in mind I'd say look forward for the next chapter. As much as this was a crappy empty and a filler like chapter the next should end up with some tension and action ( no detailed physical fight if I stumbled upon one, I suck at those)**

**Actually after I finish this errand I'll try and get starting on it…**

***I know I know, sigh again, following the pattern that was supposed to be in **_**italics **_**but I didn't like the way it looked… Sorry for any confusion, for once it was not meant to.**

**And Sorry for the long notes **


	8. Chapter 8

"KAITO!"

"Waaaah!" *shove*

*Poof*"Itai!"

"Kaito! How could you? You perv!"

"B-b-but-BUT!"

"I NEVER thought you from all people would do such a thing, Kuroba Kaito! How could you d-d-do _that_ to a minor?"

"B-but…"

"I thought you were better than that young man! I'm really disappointed in you! I can't even bare to be seen together in public from now on!"

"BUT…!"

"What do you have to say for yourself, young man? I doubt anything you'd say would change my mind!"

"Demo, I wasn't! HE DID IT!"

"Oh please, is that the best you can come up with?"

"But it's true! H-h-he sat on my lap for the water bottle and-and then, he-h-h-he just did! He-h-he just _kissed_ meout of nowhere_!"_

"And I am a Sherlock Holmes hater"

"Kedo, I swear that's what happened! WAAAH! My innocence! My virginity! My sweet, sweet first kiss! Tsubete, everything was taken by-by _him! _WAAAAH!"

"What's wrong with him…"

"sa na.."

To clear up any confusion since this is written in words and not a media for you to get the scene with simply a dialogue; we'll go over it from the top:

The introduction shout to this chapter was by a very shocked and unlucky Hakuba who had the _pleasure _of stumbling onto the lovely romantic scene that had unfolded not long ago (last chapter for you guys). As for what happened then, well, Kaito was so startled that he shoved Conan to the ground, who on his way knocked the table with him downwards, and stood quick which forced the chair he was sitting on to collide with Conan and the table's newest best friend, the floor.

Afterwards he rushed to try and explain himself as Conan casually and without a care stood up and away from his new best friend. Now, instead of apologizing or saying anything to that matter he just enjoyed the lecture Mother Hakuba was giving him. He knew the brit didn't do it consciously, but that didn't make it any less funny. Afterwards Kaito blamed it at him and ran off somewhere with tears, fake tears, like some high school girl that had just been betrayed by her boyfriend… Yep that's pretty much it.

Back to present:

"Ne, Haku-nii where were you?"

"I was investigating a case, I just finished it right now and the police are taking him to the headquarters."

"Hmm, aren't you going with them?"

"Why? I did all that I could the rest is for the keijis to deal with."

"… never mind then"

Conan straightened the table and chair; he then placed all that was on top of the table back to its place, thankfully nothing broke. When he finished he went back to where he sat and re-filled another cup of water.

Just When Hakuba was about to sit down as well he got a phone call. The call was from one of the officers he was with just a moment ago. They asked him to come back for questioning him about the murders trick one more time, saying they couldn't write it down due a novice who was taking the notes. He Asked if he could come later, but they insisted on coming back now since it was important for the report. Hakuba glanced once at Conan before grudgingly accepting to come back right away.

"Gomen Conan, but would you mind coming with me?"

"Where?"

"To the police men, they need me for a while. Seeing that Kaito isn't planning on showing up anytime soon and you'd be alone, I wouldn't feel so keen on leaving you in such a public place alone. So what do you think, is it alright?"

"hmm… more like since I am loony and not trusted for being alone, that's what you really mean…" Conan said in such a monotonous tone that it threw Hakuba off balance, mentally that is.

"Huh? Oh, N-"

"Ok, "

"hm?"

With that Conan grabbed the bunny from the seat next to him and made his way past the teen's legs going in the direction he assumed the detective came from. Baffled, Hakuba managed to wake up from his stupor and followed the boy directing him as he was about to take the wrong turn. It didn't take them long until they reached their destination.

Waiting for them there were two officers. They were going through the last procedures such as collecting the evidence and other things before the head back to headquarters. When one of them saw the two minors he beckoned them to come and the proceeded with what they ought to do. As for Conan, while Hakuba was busy he went to explore the place. There weren't much to explore it was but a normal neighbourhood and some dark alleys, probably were most of the stray cats are found.

He was looking around near one of those alleys when he heard the sound of rushed footsteps, curiosity made him peek in only to find himself to be hauled from the safe ground into a large man's arms. Conan heard his name being shouted even before he could comprehend what had happened, and not long after a knife was held close across his neck.

"PUT HIM DOWN!"

Satou-keiji and Shiratori alongside Inspector Ogino* came running from the same alley the man did, each pointing their own gun on him cautiously. Only then did Hakuba notice what had happened and turned his full attention to them.

"Put the kid down, either ways you're not going to run away this place is full and surrounded by police men. So be smart and put him down, slowly" Shiratori tried convincing the man with a clam manner unlike the demanding one Satou used just before.

"No! He's my ticket out of here! If you don't want me to slit his neck open then you'll do exactly as I say!"

"And what do you want!" Satou demanded rather than asked. You could even feel the blood boiling in her, and these glares, Oh God if only looks can kill then the man would be beneath seventh ground or maybe even boiling in the core.

"Simple, I want for you to let me go without any complications. And the kid would _stay_ with me in case you tried anything after I put him down."

"Oh N-"

"Alright! Just don't hurt the boy."

"Huh..? Shiratori! How could you?"

"Just calm down" he said in a hush as for the man not to hear them. "Don't you trust me?"

"What do you have in mind?" she continued in a whisper.

"You'll see"

Just as he said that, Hakuba sneaked from behind the man with a pole he found somewhere in his hand, as Ogino got ready to dash when the moment called for it. The brit held the pole high above his head and pulled it down to strike and Ogino dashed taking it as her cue. Just at the moment it was meant to come in contact, the man turned and managed to knock Hakuba to the side throwing the pole to the other side. And with swift movements he twisted his body and landed a kick to the inspector face, the gun now was far away from her reach.

"Ogino! Hakuba! "

"Now, would you refrain from any other games in the future? Just now was a warning but next time, I swear this boy's shirt would be dyed crimson!"

"Ok, ok! Just don't hurt him!"

The man started to back away from the officers with Conan in his hands, but it seemed like Hakuba wasn't about to let him go that easily. He straightened himself and got in a position that would make it easy to leap or start running if needed. The large man saw that and he inched the knife's sharp edge closer to Conan's neck enough to touch it.

"Don't!" Screamed Satou, with worry written all over her face mirroring the looks of all the others.

To everybody's bafflement, the good and the bad, Conan held the arm holding him with one hand as the other kept its hold on the bunny, he crouched his knees over that arm, he then slipped his head and threatened neck from underneath it's numb capture's grasp, and hauled himself upside down with one hand. He then jumped using that hand over the man's head and spun to cut down right-side up with one leg slightly bent and the other searching for a footing on the criminal's head before it touches. The impact from the contact between the kid's leg and the large man's head forced him out of his balance and he came down hard to the ground causing an injury form the collision. All of this happened in a blink of an eye, that even the criminal didn't know what hit him until he felt the pain from the bang against the floor.

Hakuba, Satou, Shiratori, and Ogino were speechless. Not only did the boy escape a killer's grasp, but he also did it without batting an eye, twitching, or changing his face expression. And add to that that he stood with a leg on his attacker's head and the other on the ground looking like nothing had just happened still hugging that bunny but now with both his arms.

"Conan! Are you alright? You're not hurt are you?"

Hakuba came hurriedly to check for any injuries as he tried to shove the shock to the back of his mind. As for Shiratori he managed to forget about it for the sake of handcuffing the criminal, and Satou came to help him as well. After making sure that the criminal won't be escaping again, Ogino made her way towards the boy with the scene still playing in her mind, she bend down as to lock him in an eye to eye stare before she tried to ask about his wellbeing, the key word here _tried_…

"Haku-nii"

As Conan saw her coming he edged closer behind Hakuba's legs. Whining as she become nearer and nearer, she thought he showed a hint of fear he didn't show in front of a dangerous criminal holding a knife to his throat, but she could have imagined it.

"Oh don't worry; I'm an inspector just like those two. But are you ok? Are you afraid? That's must've been scary"

"What was?" Conan replied with genuine confusion displaying on his face from behind Hakuba.

"You know the big man holding a knife to your neck"

"And_ that's_ supposed to be scary?" He then turned his bunny till it was face to face with him and looked at it. "Did you hear? They say a petty criminal threating you with such a blunt edged kitchen knife is supposed to be scary… I never knew that"

Taken aback by the (indirect) reply, Ogino walked closer, forcing Conan to back further behind the brit's leg who was watching silently.

"Ho? Is that so? Then from what are you scared right now?" She couldn't help but spicing it up with a smug look and inching closer still.

"…"

"Wh-"

"Great Job there Conan! High five!"

Of course the only person in this group who can practically turn a tense atmosphere into a cheery one in a jiff, Satou-keiji! With her interruption, the boy ran to her side to give that waiting hand what it wants. After all, it's not good to keep people waiting; it's not from his manner.

"Wow! Now that was cool! Would you mind teaching me that move, Oh mister great Sensei?"

"Dame, dame, Can't do! You can't do it! You're just not fit to it!"

"HUH? But WHY? Oh, Why dear Oh Great Sensei? Is it because I don't have such a dwarfy body? Is that is? You have to be 3 inches long for it to work, don't you?"

"Tch! And that was supposed to be a secret! You weren't allowed to say it out loud" He bended closer and held a hand to hide his mouth and whispered loudly "Now they know my secret weapon"

And just like that the two burst out laughing, will for Satou it was merry loud laugh but for Conan it was more of a shy one.

Unlike Hakuba's baffled reaction, Shiratori's was more used to it, and Ogino looked like she was just studying it all and saving it somewhere in her brain's desktop. After the laughing fit was done and over with the adults went on with their jobs but when Satou was talking to Hakuba and Shiratori walking the criminal to the car that parked nearby, Conan was forgotten. It was at that time that Ogino saw him walking to the alley they came through from the edge of her eye. While no one missed him yet he came back and stood where he was standing as if he never left his place behind Hakuba's legs with that patched up bunny still in his hold.

After 15 minutes had passed Hakuba and Conan parted ways from the keiji's as they led their suspect away and close up the case. The moment the two boys were out of sight Inspector Ogino discretely went to that same alley, as she went further in and took a turn between the tight walls she found it. She found what she was looking; something out of place but this was not what she had in mind.

"T-this is…?"

.

.

..

* * *

"Here is fine Haku-nii, you can go on without me"

"Hmm? Are you sure?"

"Yes in fact I want to stay in this park for a while" when he noticed the concerned look he said "don't worry I won't get hurt"

"If you say so…"

By the time it became totally dark, Kaito made his way out of his secret hideout where he was taking a nap. He passed by the park where something leaning on the wall of a dark lonely corner caught his interest. He tip-toed towards it without making any noise as to not startle whatever it it became clear to him he was surprised.

On that same wall that he was talking about Conan Edogawa lied there hugging his knees close to his chest with what seemed to be a slight tremble.

"Oi, oi! What is it? What's scaring you?"

"…"

Not knowing what to do Kaito drew closer and went on his knees to become closer to the petrified quiet boy. Well, who he thought was a petrified quiet boy at least. The boy in question raised his head for the nervous boy to see with plain boredom written all over it.

"Hmm?"

"Hmm?"

"What?"

"Oh I-I just thought th-that you were you know.. Well, to be honest you looked, Uh, you looked…"

"I looked?"

"Well, you looked scared or so I thought. He he.. never mind!

"Hmm..?"

"BTW! What was that for? Why on earth did you do that?"

"That what?" the elementary school boy gave him an even more confused looked than he already had "You know, tonight, you are totally not making any sence"

"Um, really..? Forget that, I was talking about that! You know _that _thing?"

*raise eyebrow*

"Th-that! That Kiss! What was that for?"

"Kiss? "

"Yes that thing!"

Conan just stares at him for a while as he thinks it over before he "HA! You actually thought that I was kissing you?"

"W-well! Wasn't it?"

"No! Of course not you idiot! Now, why would I do that? Forget it why the heck would I even think of kissing _you_?"

Kaito's red face turned from that of embarrassment to that of restrained anger "Then Why?"

"I'm surprised you even misunderstood it for a kiss! It's not like I gave a peck on your lips!"

"T-That's exactly what I mean! You went all the way to-t-t-to put y-y-yo-your… in m-m-m-my m-m-m-ou-"

"I was thirsty"

"…Huh?"

"you remember! I was thirsty and no matter how much water I drink or the number of lollipops I eat it'll still be dry. My throat that is"

"What does that has anything to do with the kiss?"

"Well isn't it obvious I wanted to see if saliva would work"

"… Again, Huh?"

"you know I tried to cure my dry throat with your saliva"

"… Man! Where the heck did you come with that?"

"From" he started with confidence before he fell into silence as he started debating it in his mind "From…" now less confident "From… Now where did I come with that from, I remember reading it somewhere that's all"

"What the do you read kid? Mind the rating please! And cut down on whatever category that was in!"

"Still I don't see why you're so riled up by it"

"You…! Sigh, never mind. Anyways what are you doing here?"

"Me? Nothing I just setting, didn't feel like going back home yet"

"Won't Occhan be worried?"

"It's still early, there's nothing for him to worry about"

"Alright, did something happen? You don't look so well"

"Oh that, don't mind it, just a women "

"As in scary women or love problem?"

"You do know I'm not comfortable with women around. And today I saw one, the type I hate the most… the perspective, sharp type. She was getting closer and closer to me while studying me like some kind of mystery, it sort of put me on edge and it scared him… it scared me too I guess. Huh…?"

"What? What with the sudden cut?"

"… I just realized … I don't know why I told you all this, though I wasn't in any need to… I just did, without any second thoughts, I talked… That's weird"

"Is it your first time to talk to someone about what's bothering you honestly?"

"First? Yeah, yeah it's the first time"

Upon hearing that Kaito couldn't help the gentle smile making its way on his face "How was it? How do you feel?"

"It felt.. It felt good! I don't know why but it felt nice, I like it! For some reason I feel light! Even though it was such a small thing yet I feel so, so, light like I could fly!" As he demonstrated his feeling his smile started to grow and grow, nothing too fancy but it was a small shy sincere smile. The second for Kaito to see, yet this one was different…

this one wasn't accompanied with sad eyes..

This time his eyes sparkled,

Another first…

* * *

***Inspector Ogino from Movie 13, she only showed up in some scenes but I thought she deserves more! I hope there will be an episode starring her soon…**

**And that's Chapter 8! Hope you liked it and sorry if it wasn't worth the looking forward thing, I tried to make it up for the last chapter and there is more words in here, exactly 1000 than my usual minimum limit word count.**

**Well, regardless of the word count I hope it is full of events and not so empty or a filler like chapter. Tell me what do you think of it, I'd be really grateful if you do so ^^ **

**And have a nice day **


	9. Chapter 9

Ayami Ogino, the inspector could not find it possible to fall asleep for the past two nights

The source of her sleepless nights is the body found at the crime scene where Hakuba Saguru caught the killer the other day. The body she found lying in the alley she peeked at was and still is a mystery to her, though no one seems to share her confusion. And she understands why, after all no one but her saw what she saw. Takagi, Satou, Shiratori, Chiba, and that new guy who she never remembered his name, are still investigating the victim. So far they found out that he was very close to the suspect of the crime prior it, close enough to be considered his partner in crime. It seems like he was hiding in that alley to cover his friend's back if things went wrong; awkwardly he didn't start any action when his partner was caught.

The body was found headless as the remains of what once was a head were on the wall the victim's body was leaning on. The weapon was a shotgun found right beside the body with no fingerprints but his own on it. At the estimated time of death the police were surrounding the scene and no one could have gone in or out the dark alley without them noticing, and they were sure no one did. Therefore they could only deduce it as suicide, reason, fear of the police. And Ogino was not stupid, she knows that all that is what the evidence says and not what the inspectors believe. They were and probably still are skeptical about the results and that's why they are till now sweeping the scene for any more evidence they could find, even at this late hour of the night. But that doesn't mean she is about to share her doubts with them. No, not them, they just aren't suited for her theory.

_After all, _he_ was the only one to enter._

And she was sure of it. She saw it and she believes what her eyes tell her, they never lied to her before, they never betrayed her, so why start now? But she can't tell them yet! Not without a proof, an evidence to back her theory with. She was never close to the boy before his kidnapping case, thus she couldn't sympathize or try to deny her thoughts. For her, he was just another suspect in a case and a victim in another. But she knew. She knew that the others were. They are so close to him that they keep instinctively start searching for him in any crime scene. They are so close to him as in to unconsciously mention him every single day. They are so close to him that they would ask each other about his health at least twice a day even though it was obvious that none of them saw him for the whole day if not the passing week! They are so close as to keep wondering whether he'd like this, or like that. But the questions need to be asked. That's why she took it upon her, knowing best of the consequences of knowing a suspect in a crime, and she know that if she voice's her doubt they'd start searching for evidence to prove _her_ wrong, and they don't even need to, for she was in a tight to begin with.

…Except for one. There is only one person among them that doesn't know him, the newbie. Though honestly, he doesn't look trust worthy, he looks like wimp even more than Takagi. At the very least, if Takagi is given an important secret he'd die sealing his mouth without uttering a word. This guy? He'd probably crack under the first signs of pressure or empty threats. Such a guy would only give her trouble which she is in no need for. It's enough that she barely convinced her boss for a longer stay.

It's not like she is planning to raise a revolution from the inside of the police ranks, but that kid seems dangerous enough as to be capable of doing that in a click of his fingers. That boy is more dangerous than that. That boy will be cable to through the whole country out of its line… or maybe she's just being paranoid and giving him too much credit. But it's true! People around him don't seem to be giving him enough credits. And all she did to start having those thoughts running through her head, beside her never wrong intuition, is a look through the cases he's been involved in. That Kogoro can't possibly turn in a night to the famous detective he is now. He only turned after "Conan" should up. She researched the boy "Conan Edogawa" came back with nothing before that one night when "Conan" should up, that's if the name is even his to begin with.

One thing for sure is that that boy ain't to be belittled…

/

/

"Conan-kun! Please, get down from there! Oi! Are you listening?"

At the subject of the talk, or thoughts more like it, we have a shouting Saguru and a pissed off Kogoro trying to get one totally not listening Conan down from a very high tree found on the sidewalk near the office and now officially his home. Today, he woke up to an empty futon set up for the arrival of his favorite big brother, even though Heiji didn't confirm his return at a specified time, and now it's the third day without him near the grumpy kid and enough was enough. Therefore Conan showed his displeasure by climbing out of the window onto the tree positioned just in the right place to make it easy for a "Monkey" as Haibara one said.

Since the morning and Conan hadn't opened his mouth, his voice wasn't heard since yesterday, and the two are starting to get worried. Hakuba called Kaito in hope that the class's clown would be able to do something for the kid's foul mood, but the magician has yet to show up. Well, it does take time to come here from his house in Ekoda. Though Hakuba ain't pulling his hopes high, for today the boy seems to be a hardcore emo. It wasn't only the silent treatment he's been giving them from the early morning, but also the melancholy expression that he has yet to change even if for a second, has been stuck to him since the moment he woke up.

"Come on Conan! Please! Just come down.. How about we go to that café, eh? I know you like their Ice-cream.. Conan! Come Down!"

Nothing seems to be working for Hakuba, and the famous sleeping detective is trying to climb from the same window Conan did, as well as try to bribe him into climbing off the tree as it seemed to him that climbing is by far a way to dangerous mission for him, especially a person with a fear of heights, to attempt.. But no use…

Kogoro notices some figures coming towards his office; he didn't give them much thought until they became clear to be their close friends Satou and Takagi, plus the new guy and the nice lady that he saw in a case before.

"HEY! What are you doing up there? Catching a squirrel or something?" And the hyper and cheery Satou keiji was the one to be the first to greet as Takagi was right after her and the rest followed suite.

The moment their voices were heard, Conan reacted for the first time since he got himself comfortable on the tree branch. But that doesn't necessarily mean that it was good.. He moved swiftly and quick that no one noticed him until it was too late. He quietly and without causing a sound stood up, hunched his knees, leaned forward , and jumped.

Everyone was stunned speechless and didn't notice the actual risk behind this particular action until a honk was sound.

The boy had elegantly and perfectly reached the ground standing up on his two feet with the grace of a cat. He landed in the middle of the road exactly in front of a passing truck that no one would have noticed it to be there if it wasn't for the drivers warning. Fear rushed through their bodies, the boy was a goner, everyone thought. The truck was just so close and no one was close enough as to be able to push him away. The boy was gone in front of their eyes and they can't do him anything, standing their helpless and unable to even comprehend what exactly was going on except the part that something is wrong. Something is way wrong, and it won't end nicely.

In the blink of an eye, not that anyone did bink, a blur snatched the boy out of the trucks way just as the said vehicle managed to turn the wheels to the other side and crashed into the lamp post. After the whole mess was finally registered into the audience's brain, they all ran towards the figure holding the boy tight to his chest. They didn't recognize him until they were nose to nose close to him and that was understandable with the maze their thoughts were going through..

"Oh my God! Conan, are you alright?"

Satou's voice was the first to break through the deathly silence that hung as they all stared on the two boys. The boy who snatched Conan from Death's arm was no one else but Kuroba Kaito, the magician teen had managed a thing that no adult was capable of. Takagi, Satou, Saburu Hakuba, Ayami, and the new guy all circled around the two as Kogoro checked on his wards health.

"His heartbeats, pressure and vitals all on all in general seems to be fine. But I say that from only looking, we might as well try checking him for a quick look at in the hospital. Nevertheless I don't think we should be worried about Conan, It's you that I'm worried about.. Are you hurt?" The old man says as he points to Kaito with an accusing finger.

"Uh? Me? No, no I'm totally fine! What are my acrobatic skills for if they don't help me when I need them like now?" He said at last dropping the serious face a bit enough for Hakuba to feel a little more assured that everything is fine. Though Kogoro didn't seem to share Hakuba piece of mind, he stared at the teen with a non-believing look.

"Rest assured uncle, if Kaito says so then we shouldn't be worried. He's a very athletic person after all, and the car didn't have the chance to meet him as it turned away from him. Now that you mention it, what happened to the driver?"

"Is he alright?"

Speaking of the devil, they all turned to see the subject of Hakuba's question walking, scratch that, limping towards them. His head was split open but it didn't seem life threatening regardless of how painful it must be to just stay awake nevertheless to have him walking. The man seemed to be genuinely concerned about Conan welfare and most probably unaware of his wounds yet. On the other hand, the cause of his misery just sat there and stared at him.

"Is the boy alright?"

"Yes, he is. Thank you for your concern" Replied Takagi

"Oh my, thank God! I'm so sorry; I swear I didn't mean it! And his sudden presence in front me just made me so confused and, and I , I didn't know what to do… I swear I didn't plan on hearting the boy. Not him, not Conan, I'd never think of ever harming him ever! I did the first thing my body thought of as my brain was shut.."

"You know him?" Asked Mouri

"…? Who doesn't? Conan Edogawa is famous in the neighborhood and I myself owe him my life, for he saved it before a couple of times.. Therefore, I'd never THINK of hurting the boy! In fact it's the other way round, I always wanted and try to pay the debt back even if it was for a little amount.. I just never seem to find the opportunity to be able to do so.."

"Don't worry the boy's unscratched, good reflex though. Sorry for the truck.."

"Hell with the truck! As long as he's safe everything can be damned to hell and back too if it wants"

"I bet he appreciates the concern, right Conan"

As for Conan he just simple stared forward without a glimpse of emotion passing though his eyes. Regardless, the group of worried men decided to get the two boys and driver to a checkup at a nearby hospital.

Unlike the others, the only thing Ogino was thinking of, the only image playing over and over in her head was, the boy's totally fearless face. If anything she could describe his expression with was that he knew what he was doing, and did it on purpose nevertheless… He didn't flatter an eye in the face of the mortal danger, he looked the truck right ahead and still stood his grounds without making a move or even an attempt to move out of its way… It didn't need to be said how much it spooked the dear inspecter..

/

/

**Hello my readers! I know I took VERY long but blame it on exams, and I know that ain't the best first chapter after the long breake and that the language seemed to go down even more, but blame it on exams, exp the English one! I think it took all the remotely decent language from!. And I know it ain't the longest of chapters, in fact it might be the shortest of them, but since I'm traveling very early tomorrow I thought of putting this up or only God knows til when it might have been postponded! And I know not the most eventful chapter, and I have no excuse for that… **

**Anyways Happy Eid! Happy Holiday! **

**And since I'll be out for around a week or so don't worry about the next chapter getting late, though I do plan to return to a chapter per week routine, hopefully it'll work. I'll be writing throughout the vacation since I'll probably be spened on the roads rather than anywhere else… **

**Oh and last thing before I wish you a happy day/night, Check my deviant account if you may! I've already posted lots (compared to some lazyass who only started doing so late summer) And tell me what you think of them ^^**

**And another thing to get you motivated to review, has any of you been waiting or happy that the story was updated,or does it not matter? *tear slide)**

**Last but not least I was thinking of maybe changing the Summery at the main page, do you have any suggestion to a more interesting and alluring one? Since I totally don't have anything in mind**

**Finally, Have a nice day (and sorry if I took long with my A/N)**

**PS OF course i don't have to say, do i? If there is anything you liked ( I doubt but in case ) or hated ( most likely, definatily if not from top to bottom) Then pleaze reveiw and say so, it helps when writing the next chapter ( Which i promise I'll TRY to have them mucch better and more intersting )  
**


	10. Chapter 10

Conan was finally reacting to something today and he's really eager to get home. But all that could only be deduced by his rushing movements and not his set in stone expression that hadn't changed since that day.

The reason for Conan's assumed eagerness is the news that Satou and Takagi had come to tell them. It seemed like Heiji was stuck solving a case in some city away from Osaka. The detective had asked Satou to round up information on the victim of the case along with sending along the request for Mouri to join him. They were sent with a similar invitation to Hakuba, if the blond had the time. Of course Hattori was using it as an indirect way of saying "Get Conan over here" and Satou and Takagi didn't need the hints to catch on. It's obvious to them that the teen doesn't like staying away from child any more than Conan does.

Mouri, Hakuba, Kaito and Conan made their way to the office and get Conan ready to meet his long awaited brother. It seems like with each passing day it becomes even harder to separate these two. Regardless of the boy's implied enthusiasm, Mouri rejected the invitation to come along. His excuse was a case he is still working on and it needs his full attention, though he didn't oppose Hakuba taking Conan with him**,** as he knows the boy won't settle with anything else. Maybe working on a case with the others could help work Conan out of his foul mood.

They packed what little Conan needed for the trip, which was expected to last at least three nights, though Heiji did insinuate that the investigation may take longer to finish through the message given to the two love birds. They then stopped by Hakuba's house to do the same. While the blond was on his way home, Kaito slipped his way out of and backinto the group, prepared with his own pack and ready to force his presence on them, even uninvited. They had flashlights and were bringing along food that would keep for a while without needed to be refrigerated. The group was going to be spending a minimum of three nights there and they wanted to be prepared for their stay in the villa, in the middle of a very dangerous forest that's on a high mountain near the Nagano district. This forest is famous for people getting lost in it, and safety procedures should be taken.

Hakuba and Kaito were planning to meet at the station at 4 PM, until then neither wanted to see the other's face so they parted ways as Hakuba traveled towards his house and Kaito wandered off in the general direction of the station to wait for him. To their surprise Conan preferred to stay with Hakuba rather than going with the teenage magician.

The first thing Hakuba did when he entered his home is to check the mail. As Hakuba did so Conan started examining the house's rich interior. Just as he was immersed with taking in the details of the house he heard the blond ask him-

"So, why did you choose to come with me?"

"…?"

"I always thought you preferred Kaito over me."

"Hmm? Really? Well he definitely isn't a Holmes freak, which reminds me of someone I really hate, yet it's not as if I hate you. Why would I prefer that idiot?"

*Blink –Blink* "Well, maybe because he's more entertaining. Most people usually prefer a clown rather than a serious person like me"

"Then you obviously don't know your worth. I'm actually surprised I was right"

"Right? Right about what?"

"Right about you being hard on yourself. You really love taking a backseat role and not acknowledging your own self-worth. You probably love despising your existence, don't you? You know, It makes you more of an emo than people say I am.. And yes I picked the exact words that I wanted to convey my thoughts. Just because I was proven mentally unstable doesn't mean I'm blind to some psychology basics. You would be surprised to know how much I can tell person's mentality from a first impression."

Hakuba was so stunned that he had unconsciously stopped looking through the letters, loosening his grip on the papers enough that some escaped to the floor. The boy who he thought to have become insane had managed to shock him once again with painful clarity, as the words spoken were the truth and said with a perfectly neutral expression. Now that Hakuba's mind had gone blank as his more pressing thoughts were shoved into a corner, he realized this is the first time Conan was speaking since this morning.

"You sure you aren't pretending to be insane?" this time Hakuba was straight forward with the question he had kept asking himself since he heard of the boy's story.

Conan stared without answering for a few minutes before smirking. All Hakuba could do was blink in confusion and then drop the subject as Conan made his way up to the second floor without acknowledging his question. He discarded the letters and junk mail before following the child upstairs, forgetting for a moment that he was in his own house.

After shadowing Conan up the stairs and down the hallway, the boy's footsteps stopped right in front of Hakuba's bedroom door.

"H,- How do you know where my room is?"

"Why? Where else will it be?"

Even after looking around the hallway full of empty rooms he still didn't understand what the boy was saying. "I don't follow what you're saying."

The boy just shrugged his shoulder and stayed silent before the door that has yet to be opened.

Sometime had past, and the promised hour was closing in. Hakuba finished packing and making sure everything was in its proper place. On their way past a playground, on the long walk to meet up with Kaito, a car parked in front of them pulled up from out of nowhere. When the driver unrolled the window, they were very surprised to see Ayami peering at them out of the window.

Hakuba was totally taken aback. He didn't know of any reason for this inspector specifically to be here. It was true though, that Hakuba didn't know her well and wasn't familiar with how she worked on the job, whether involving herself in other cases while she had time or not.

Conan, though not surprised, was restless. He immediately hid himself behind Hakuba's leg to better defend against something that the British detective couldn't perceive, yet he didn't betray his straight face to the childish behaviour. This strange action was what bought Hakuba back from his musings.

"Hey. You're going to that forest, right?" The woman asked, leaning on an arm out of the window to better talk with them.

Hakuba affirmed that they were, still unsure of what's going on around him.

"You will need a ride then, won't you? Then how about coming with me?"

"Well, sure why-" Hakuba was cut off by a quick but firm tug on his pants. He looked down to find a very wary Conan watching Ayami's every move and taking in her expression. He was reminded of their previous meeting with the inspector, and that he'd only been introduced to her two days before. He wasn't sure if Conan had met her then or not.

It was obvious that the boy wasn't keen on remaining in the woman's company, which was the reason Hakuba gained the incentive to lie, as a way to somehow refuse her.

"I'm sorry but I have to decline your kind hearted offer, for we had already planned for this trip and have our transportation prepared."

"Are you sure? I'm going there either way I can take you both. Your other friend too if he's coming as well."

"No thank you. We've already promised a companion of mine that we were going to go together with his uncle, who had offered before you. It was very generous of you to offer"

"Coming along with me will shorten your trip and you won't need to inconvenience your friend. Then again, maybe it'll make it harder for whatever you're planning."

"I really appreciate your kindness, again, but we must go before we are late, ne Conan-kun?"

Conan's quick eyes looked up at Hakuba, and caught his drift before nodding. The blond then made his way hastily around the car and across the street without leaving the woman with any opportunity to poke for more information before she found the holes in his fabrication. They didn't look back as the sound of their hasty footsteps marked their path. Hakuba didn't know when they finally managed to reach the station where Kaito was waiting there, due to the fact that he was looking over his shoulder most of the time to make sure they weren't being followed.

"What's wrong? Why are you two in a hurry?"

"That's a story that is better better put aside for later, so that we can still make it before the next train going to the forest departs."

"Sure, the next train will be here soon…"

Kaito wasn't sure whether to get himself ready to fight or run. It is obvious that these two weren't in favour of whatever, or whoever, they were running from. But all their thoughts were brought to a stop as warnings that an oncoming train was arriving swept through the station. Everyone obeyed the electronic voice as it instructed them to step behind the yellow line. They waited for the piece of moving junk to unload its previous passengers before they were allowed to hop on, finding a bit of sanctuary in a small corner, away from the bulk of the crowd.

"Okay, now can you tell me what exactly is going on?"

Kaito couldn't handle the curiosity eating away at him and finally had enough, though he'd only been left to sit with the unease for less than ten minutes. Hakuba took pity on him told the magician what had transpired while he was away.

"That's good! Why did you refuse her offer?"

"Because ever since the last time we met, it was obvious that Conan didn't feel safe with her. And this time even I wasn't keen with her being so persistent on assisting up."

"I see.. Well, let's forget about that and think of what we'll be doing after we reach our destination."

"Do you know the way?" Hakuba asked from his seat, while the magician stood over him, holding onto a hand rail.

"I got a map for the forest on the way here, just in case. It's in my bag."

For the remainder of the trip they discussed what routes to follow and what areas to avoid. As for Conan, he kept silent and remained that way for the entire train ride. It didn't really bother the two teens as they were too preoccupied with the planning. After they cemented their future plans of action, Hakuba went over the case and Kaito practiced some of his more complicated tricks that required a scarce amount of room. At around sunset they finally reached the station closest to the house where Hattori was staying.

It took them some time to find the house hidden amongst the tall and old trees of the forest. When they did, they stood side by side in a line. In perfect harmony all three of them eyed the house from bottom to top, taking in the details that normal people would have overlooked. Awe was written all over their faces as they were faced with the perfect house for all those creepy rumors ghost tales to have been given birth in. The house is of a rich, European style, containing three floors. With the night's dark and eerie effect on everything, the house appeared to be painted in a grey monochrome color, the structure Gothic in design. There was a church-like bell on top of the connecting tower, adding on its haunted look. The tall and thick trees that surrounded it also seemed to try and hide the mansion from the eyes of the world, predatory birds more than likely finding solace in the branches.

If it wasn't for Heiji's detailed directions that they'd received and several marked trees - along with the added bonus of Kaito's map, which proved very helpful - they would've most definitely lost the way. The house didn't have a path or a fence to warn you of its existence and thus surprised the trio of its sudden discovery. The lights were on, calming the group down a bit and assuring them that they were at their correct destination. Not like there could have been someone else crazy enough to make their home that far into the wilderness.

They stepped slowly towards the big metal door and knocked exactly three times. After three seconds past their final knock, a maid in her thirties opened the door. She was plain with nothing worth noting about her. They greeted her politely before introducing themselves. When she recognized them she let them enter, guiding them towards the other teenage detective. They followed the maid up the stairs in search of Hattori. Upon reaching the halfway point where the staircase diverged into two seperate hallways, they were faced with a large painting of figures that needed more time to be observed in order to discover its meaning. In front of the painting there were two set of stairs, one leading to the right and one to the left. Each of their tops were adorned with big metal doors, the left was wide open while the right was tightly shut.

Hakuba POV:

As we climbed the left set of stairs, there was another huge door, much like the front door they had to pass through to enter. The door was a replica of the one opposing it at the right wing. The only difference between the two was that the left one was wide open, unlike the right. We passed the decorative door only to meet another hallway, narrow, which included five normal sized doors to each side and one right ahead of us. So far it was obvious to me that the house was in constant use, betraying the image it had from the outside of a haunted house out of Grammy award-winning horror movie.

The maid slowed down and came to a stop in front of the third door to the left. She turned back to us and excused herself. When she was gone I knocked the door with Kuroba and Edogawa behind me. It was soon apparent that my knocking paled in comparison to the noise from the fighting duo on the other side. I had to punch the door until we got some attention. Of course, it was very impolite and I couldn't help regretting the action, even if it got me the results I'd been seeking. Heiji pulled the door open with so much force you could practically hear a whoosh sound coming from it. It was no surprise that he greeted us with a frowning face and an angry tone "WHAT?"

"Considering that you are the one who called for us, it shouldn't surprise you that we're here."

At hearing my voice his frown hardened, causing me feel a little hurt. Did I bother him that much? Nevertheless, he totally lightened up after pulling his gaze downwards and behind me. "Conan!"

He crouched down and opened his arms ready for a hug; needless to say he found none. "What's wrong?"

What's wrong? Nothing's wrong, just you. You caused the boys mannequin-like expression and similar reactions- or lack of!

Edogawa-kun only stared back at Hattori's worried glance and stood his ground. It seems even being the long awaited brother didn't mean Hattori won't be punished. He'll be treated the same as everyone and there is no exception.

The door was left to open due to Hattori having shoved it towards us. Inside a girl and a child came to my view. I could see Kuroba getting ready to charm this lady the same was he does to all of the female population. I couldn't tell if I was being paranoid or not, but the girl look worried as she stared at Edogawa. As for the other child, he seemed to the same or maybe a year or two older than Edogawa. I couldn't really tell since the Conan is seriously short for his age. I thought about recommending Hattori–kun to take him to a children's doctor to check his growth rate if he continued not to get any taller. Other than his age, he had a messy hair, just as, if not more than, Kuroba.

"-ou alright?" I noticed that when I tuned back to the scene in front of me, Hattori was still trying to lure a response out of Edogawa.

"Save your breathe. He isn't going to speak, so your efforts are meaningless."

It seems like my voice alone brings the tanned teen's dark face a frown. For his expression immediately turned sour as he looked up at me.

"HAH? What did you do to him, Brit!"

He seriously doesn't like me…

"Nothing, in fact, if there's someone you need to shout at, it's you!" Alright I admit he does rile me up more than anyone else. Maybe the annoyance went both ways.

"What do you mean, blondie!"

"I mean he is this way since the morning you didn't show up, as promised, and he had been waiting for you."

"…"

It looks like I am capable of shutting him up. All right, Kuroba is being too quiet for my liking...

"KYAAAAA!"

There, that is better. He exploded the poor girl's clothes with doves and confetti.

"Hello, I'm Kuroba Kaito, nice to meet you!" add the cheeky grin here.

The girl was blushing and stuttering for the normal reasons, as was the boy who happened to be in a very good position for a nice view - in Kuroba's words of course.

"Oh my! You look exactly like Kudou Shinichi!" and then she stares accusingly at the magician. "You're not playing tricks are you?"

"You know? Not only do you and you're boyfriend have the same accent but you also think the same!" He smiled again and a rose popped out of nowhere from under the pink smoke and he gives it to her. All she did was blush some more and shut up.

I look back at the Osakaan teen, who didn't reacted, and can't help but feel bad for putting the truth about Edogawa's condition in such blunt way. It seems like my words had him thinking deeply and... is that guilt I see? Yeah, maybe I shouldn't have worded it that way. Not only did he seem guilty and quiet, but also distant, distant enough to not react to Kuroba's childish games.

I wonder if he's all right. It can't be just my words that caused all that. Maybe something else before our arrival had upset him, and his discovery of Conan's condition had finished off what was left of Hattori's happiness.

"What is it?"

"hmm?"

"You are obviously distracted by more than what I just said, so.. what is it?"

"Like I'm going to tell you!"

"…" I was going to wait until he tells me. After few seconds his face softens and a worried look appears "It's nothing.."

"Are you sure you don't want to share? Maybe I can help you..."

"Forget it. It's nothing"

"… if you say so"

Just then a bell was rung and another maid passed by, ringing a separate small bell in her petite hand as she walked through the corridor. Hattori turned to face us. "It's dinner time. Good thing you came before it or you would have had to sleep without any. They're really strict with the timing for everything."

"I see." True to Hattori's words the doors in the left wing started to open and people made their way towards the single door to our left.

"You're here to help me with the case, right? I'll introduce you to everyone here." That was good because, so far, the whole thing could have been someone's prank. The case Hattori was investigating goes as follows:

At night, after every window and door is locked, the sound of wind blowing through the supposed locked windows is heard. When the family checks them, they find them unlocked and slamming against the walls. The only days these events don't occur is when there are visitors sleeping over. For the first few months they thought it was just some wild animal. Being in the middle of the forest and all, they were up for thinking it was anything besides ghosts or a prowler, but at the beginning of the fourth month they installed security cameras on the outside. The two weeks after they installed the cameras nothing happened. It wasn't until the beginning of the third week that it started up again. What/whoever was doing it did not show in the screen. All the camera would capture is the sudden wind blowing all the windows open without anyone opening them. What brings the residents of the house to question this, is that all those windows and the locks were made to withstand hurricane force winds. It didn't make sense to them why a simple gust would open them without any resistance.

The following month they installed interior cameras of great resolution and quality. These cameras were positioned to have every angle of the troublesome window covered, but every night when they were forced open, there was absolutely nothing there! The windows would unlock on their own with nothing as much as a shadow around them to show that they hadn't moved on their own. The locks themselves were manual and impossible to open if not by hand. They can't be opened from a distance and, even then, it would be very difficult to pull off without tools that didn't exist on earth.

The sixth month was the beginning of a new horror. Each day the lady of the house would find her gold missing, and each day the maid would find them in the stove, shoved into a pile in the back corner, which was hard to see if she hadn't been searching the entire appliance. The only reasons she thought to search inside the stove was because one day she smelled burned meat on a day where there was no meat for lunch or dinner. And so as she checked the stove's every corner, trying to find the source of the annoying smell. She was shocked when she found the gold instead of the meat, which, when she later on resumed the search for, she found none. From every day after that, the lady would wake up to her gold and jewellery in the stove and the video cameras caught nothing. The maid would smell burned meat whenever the lady's jewelleries were in the stove, and still found nothing. More security cameras were then brought in to cover the whole house 24/7 and nothing was caught… These are the more common happenings, though there seems to be much more that the residents don't want to expose so early in the investigation.

I went through the case in my head as we ate dinner with everyone else. Hattori filled me in with what he knew of the people around us. It was not a surprise that Ayami Ogino was there as well, sitting at the table when we arrived to eat, adding one to the number of police alongside Yamato Kansuke and his partner Uehara Yui. We weren't allowed much time to stay up and investigate as everyone was directed to their rooms after dinner for an early night's rest. To my surprise Conan refused to go with Hattori and instead slept the night with me. I couldn't say Hattori was the least bit pleased. As for the other sleeping arrangements, the guests and residents were kept to the left wing and the staff had their own rooms downstairs. The women, Ayami, Yui and Kazuha, were forced to share a room, two beds for each guest room. Hattori had to share with the scarred Inspector and Satoshi - the boy's name I finally got to know, who had been in the room with Hattori when I first arrived. The child shared the bed with Hattori. I shared the room with Kuroba and Conan-kun. This left three rooms unattended, for the residents were six only, each two except for the son and the aunt shared a room. I noted that among the question that I have to ask later, and everyone went to sleep.

* * *

**Will everyone brace yourself for a really surprising news! believe it or not i _FINALLY _got myself a _Beta Reader_ ^^ so for whoever was wondering over the unusually decent chapter here's your answer!**

**And all the great work of correcting this chapter goes to _LostInTheDreams _say thanx to her guys!**

**Of course don't forget to review what do you think of this chapter?  
**


	11. Chapter 11

"He…i… Con… dang…"

_Again, it is Kudou's voice. I can't understand what he tries to say._

"…_nan is… nger, be careful!"_

'_Conan', 'danger' is all what I can get from him. What are trying to say? Kudou, what is it you want to tell me?_

"_Wa.. Up! Hurr…!"_

"_WAKE UP!"_

I was forced awake, pulled out from my dream by something that I couldn't comprehend. When I finally regained full conscious, I looked around me searching for what caused my distress to find Satoshi is still fast asleep next to me. I turned to look at Yamato-keiji who is also still asleep, my gaze passing a figure seated on the edge of his bed. I looked back again to where I thought that figure is and I was surprised to find the patched up bunny there. I rubbed the sleep out of my eyes before I looked again to where I thought I saw the bunny, only to find the bed sheets wrinkled but nothing on it. _My imagination, I'll just go back to slee… GULP_

As I returned my head to the pillow I came face to face with the patched up bunny. It was just sitting there on my pillow beside Satoshi's head staring at me with its only blue eye, right in front of me, partially touching my nose. It was doing nothing other than scaring the shit out of me… I want to scream.

"Hattori! Do you know where he is?" If my heart hadn't stopped before then it jumped out of my body when I heard the voice call. All my neurons have forgotten how to function and my mind and body numbed; therefore, when I turned to look at the speaker, I did it with a dumbfounded look on my face.

"Huh?" That unintelligent response was the only thing I can muster out of the chaos my fears were turning my words into.

"Did you see... ?" The speaker who had barged in stopped his current questioning in favor of a new one. "What's wrong?"

I glance back at my pillow and find it empty. There was no bunny on it. Wha..? Never mind, it's there behind the open door. Awkward, I'm not sure if I was supposed to be this relaxed to actually finding the stuffed animal or the other way round. Whatever, at least now I have someone awake with me. Wait, who is it?

"What?" Oh, it is only Hakuba. It was dark but I could tell it was him by his accent. "Is there something behind the door?" After asking that, he peeked behind the door..

"…? Isn't that Conan's bunny?" The blond carelessly held the toy from its neck. He made me uncomfortable by doing this, as if he were going to be killed by the patch together creature... *Pft* Silly me... He tossed it carelessly on the bed, having its head slam the edge of the post and fall face upward to the ground. I freaked out and I jumped to its rescue but it was too far for me to reach in time. Of course all I get from the brit is a 'What the?'. At the very least it didn't last long before he shook his head "Forget it. Have you seen Conan?"

"Why would I? He is sleeping with you isn't he?"

"Well, he's gone. I can't find him anywhere and the place is still new on me. I don't know where to search! Do you have any idea?"

I shook my head in response, "I'll help you out. Have you tried the balconies yet? He does like watching the moon."

"… No, it didn't cross my mind. I'll search in my room and you-"

"I'll come with you!" Hell no am I going to stay alone after all that! Call me a coward, but I still won't stay.

On our way to Hakuba's room I felt eyes on me and therefore I reflexively turned to take a look at what it can possibly be. I was surprised to find the eyes staring at me were in fact only those of a cat out on a late night stroll. Scratch that to _The Cat_. The cat Conan plays around with sometimes. It waited for us until it made sure it has our full attention. When it did, its big blue eye turned to face the hallway leading down to the stairs, and it marched. I shared an unease look with Hakuba who was obviously thinking the same thing. 'We better follow'. And that is what we intended to do, but as we turn back to the cat it disappears. Nevertheless we didn't let any fear cloud our resolve. We took the same way as well. Just as we reached halfway down the branch stairway we heard a meow. We look ahead to find the same cat there, waiting at the platform in between the stairs. This time we didn't let our eyes wonder anywhere else, keeping them concentrated on the creature's back as it started leading us downward.

We continued on its trail, though this time I tried to rush my footsteps in order to keep the cat within my reach in case I felt any need to capture it. But the cat wasn't stupid. Somehow it managed to disappear and then reappear ahead of where it had vanished from our sights, as if it merged with the shadows in the corridor that were created by the moonlight streaming in through the large windows. I wonder if it's just me, but it seems as if I am seeing fog floating in the castle-like mansion. When reaching the bottom of the stairs, it did it again, disappearing and then reappearing in a blink of an eye. This time it was in front of a door on our left.

"Does that door lead to the tower?"

I only nod to the blond's correct deduction. The door leads to a tunnel connecting the castle with the tower. "But we need a key-"

Creek

I was disturbed by the sound of the door in front of us opening wide, though no one had touched it, only the cat sat awaiting in front of it.

We didn't get the chance for the mystery of this let our detective reasoning get the best of us before we made our way in behind the cat. We pushed the door further, entering a tunnel-like hallway with many windows on either sides, giving us a good view of the forest surrounding the property. The full moon bathed the forest in an eerie glow as the wind played with the leaves. The hallway was longer than I expected but we managed to reach the only other door. It was odd we that haven't seen the feline since we entered , but not much of a mystery, for there was only one way for us to take and the cat hadn't doubled back on us so there was no other way it could have gone.

Hakuba opened the door, and gave the dead silence a weary look. We were cautious entering the new room, making slow progress to be certain that there weren't any strange traps, especially since the mansion looks like it could possess some. Regardless of our minds playing around with imaginary danger, we found it safe enough to walk in and explore.

The interior of the tower held a small open space surrounded by a spiraling stair case that led too far up to structure of the tower was built completely of rock. Another meow got us moving back again, this time requiring us to follow the sound. It didn't take long until the black mammal was found in front of an ajar door.

Inside it a silhouette of a child could be seen.

"Co-"

"Shh" Hakuba slaped my mouth shut and prevented me from opening the door any further. He raiseed his forefinger and middle finger, pointed them to his eyes and then pointed them to the silhouette. _Watch__._

The silhouette didn't move for a very long time as it sat on the ground with his legs folded to his sides. Only small movement could be seen. His hands were out of view so we didn't know what the figure was doing. As the wind blew through the opened window it caught the curtain and allowed some more moonlight to brighten the room. The light illuminated droplets of dark liquid around the kid. The only thing that I could relate the dark smears to is blood. Just as I managed to free myself form the brit's hold; the boy raised his arm over his shoulder, holding something sharp in his left fist. He lunged it downward with force, causing more of the dark liquid, that shimmered ruby at the reflection of the moon light, to splatter around like a fountain.

"Wait!"

Regardless of Hakuba's pleas I dashed to Conan's side. But before I could touch him he turned around and faced me with a blinding smile… Another addition to the horror. This sort of _normal _expression freaked the hell out of me. That was the third horror in less than an hour. Added to the fact that Conan hadn't been capable of pulling off a single normal smile since the _incident__,_ he did it perfectly now with blood splattered all over his face, making it all the more unnaturally scary. With my height privilege I was able to see the source of all the bloody mess. It was a stabbing wound in his right hand...

"W..What are you doing? Stabbing your hand like that…."

"Waah!" His self-mutilation made smile turned towards me "Hei –nii, Ha-tan! You're here? What are you doing here?" His tone was cheerful and loud as was his expression for the first time in a very long while. It didn't give me that happy feeling that normally came with a child smiling up at me. I felt threatened by it for some reason. That child doesn't, no, shouldn't know how to smile… It was an unwritten rule

"No, no! You shouldn't be up here! Don't you know?" Conan asked as he tilted his head to one side in** an **attempt at being cute. "You're not allowed here!" The child then burst out into uncalled for laughter. He was definitely not sane,, at least not at this particular moment.

"Co-Conan-kun, are you alright?"

*Blink-blink* "Of course! Why wouldn't I be? You're so rude ojiisan, but you are so funny! Hehehe, just like always." Again he concluded his sentence with a blinding smile, stretching from one side of his face to the other.

"Huh? What are you talking about?"

"Do you know? The door opens inward. heheh!"

"H-huh?"

"Forget it Hattori! Don't try to reason with him when he's hurt! We should get his hand looked at before he bleeds too much!"

I did as the blond said and I looked at the wound. He's right. The amount of blood isn't reassuring and it's obvious that it needs to be tended to right away. I wished I could get a better look at it but Conan didn't seem to want to sit still. AGRH!

"Ne, ne! Have you ever seen I bloody moon before? Shall I show you one? HAHAHAH! _London Bridge is falling down, falling down, falling down HAHAHHA _It falls down HEHEH!" I try and ignore his random outbursts..**.** and the outrageously freaky laughs, for the sake of having a better look at his hand…

He was sitting on the ground with his legs bent outward, his right hand hidden in between his thighs. I reached for his hand as he was distracted, returning his full attention to me as he continued talking with that bright childish air. The next thing I knew there was blood flowing down my neck. I touched the blood with my fingers, tracing it all the way to its source. I looked down blankly at my only possible attacker, but he was still giving me his childish face. It made me doubt myself about thinking that any harm could have come to me from him. I started to believe that he wasn't responsible, even though nothing else could have been, since the child didn't seem to notice what happened. It was so quick that my brain still didn't register the injury and I couldn't feel any pain from it, though I knew I should.

"Hattori, are you alright?"

For some unknown reason Hakuba was still observing the situation from the door. I ignored him and tried again to reach for Conan's wounded hand. For a second time I felt blood, this time running down my cheek. He scratched me under my right eye. I was quick to notice what had happened, but so did he. Now that my wound was within his view, he showed signs of guilt to what he did. The boy's eyes widened and his eyebrows went up, abashed at what he seemed to be doing unnoticed by his on conscience. He had tears on the bridge of his large eyes that, complied with his upset expression, created the perfect puppy expression. His blood dirtied face all added to the ALERT signs running through my head. He raised his wounded hand to my cheek feeling my cut as he spoke.

"Gomen, does it hurt? Are you mad at me? P-please, don't be I – I didn't mean it I SWEAR! I SWEAR I SWEAR I SWEAR! I DIDN'T DO IT! I –I mean I didn't mean to do it, or raise my voice, are- are you mad because I did? Are you?"

"N- no I'm not -"

"YES YOU ARE! Aren't you? I swear I didn't mean it**!** I swear I swear I SWEAR! Just don't get mad at me I –I – I'll fix it, I swear" As I was about to try and calm him down he leaned forward and brought his face close to mine - too close to mine - and then he... he … He started licking my wound just under my eye! This action made my brain to temporarily stop working.

I only tuned in again after Hakuba's surprised yelps reached me. He was still near the door and I had yet to figure out why he didn't want to enter the room, even after Conan was hurt… I felt Conan's tongue licking my eye once more before he retreated a very short distance and started repeating the gesture on my neck. I don't know what to call the situation anymore but I'm certainly wasn't comfortable with it, in fact I was disturbed beyond all reckoning by it and wished he'd just stop! But no matter what I tried to do to get him off of me, he just kept on coming back.

"You! What the fuck are you doing, Kuzo!" A rough older voice said

"Heiji – oniisan. W-what is the meaning of that...?" Soft and confused one

"Waah Hattori-kun! I didn't think you were into these stuff… makes me feel.." A teasing and annoying one

"Nononono! It's totally not what it seems.." the blond tried to defend

It just had to be at this moment that they decided to show up. Sigh. Now god knows what they think, especially Yamato-keiji and Satoshi-kun. I could care less what the Kudou's look alike thought.

And I thought this day couldn't get any more awkward, and the fact that it is just the night makes me _look forward_ for the rest of it.. Sigh….

* * *

**I was totally depressed because of the number of reviews for the last chapter, only 1... Sigh, at least I'm really grateful for this one person..**

**Anyways again than LostInTheDreams for beta-ing this chapter, it was done for a while now buti was just too lazy to put the finishing touches**

**I hope i open my mail next time to find Something from this site  
**


	12. Chapter 12

_They say I'm crazy, but what about them? _

_They say I'm losing it, but so are they._

_Who do they think themselves are, Saints? Talking about justice like they own it.._

_Maybe they do, the earthly, human made one that is- but they have no right to judge a person's actions, not when they aren't in the same boat._

_Situations differ and so do the reactions from one person to another. You can't force your justice on another human, not when they were born to __make their own choices__. _

_Justice is just a word used to ease thier own conscious giving them some purpose to the life they lead in the vain hope what it will further along humanity._

_They don't understand, they won't understand, and they can't understand, not now and not ever. And we'll forever run in this circle especially, if I left my _guest_ room free and deepen that belief of a fake justice on those around him, being a fool himself for believing in it. _

_I had to take over matters by my own hand and seal my guest away for a while. Just enough to stop his influence on those around him.._

_And maybe even regain my sense of existence…_

_I almost forget that I was even alive to begin with. His memories, his philosophies, his friends, have taken over my world. The one that no one sees, the one made to be mine, and MINE only._

_I won't allow this to continue anymore! I CAN'T tolerate it anymore! May all of them be damned to Hell! But I ain't gonna sit still and let them take over…. It is MY WORLD to begin with….._

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_**Kansuke Yamato P.O.V.:**_

After the British brat explained last night's events it seemed like the boy has calmed down and we all returned to our rooms, but even with all that had happened, the boy didn't sleep with Hattori instead he went straight back to the blond's room without giving any heed to tanned teens request.

On our way back at the middle of the night, we met with Yui and Ogino Ayami. It seemed like their police instincts woke them up and brought them all the way here. After explaining, for the second time, what happened just a few seconds before they arrived, we made sure that no one would reiterate the ordeal to the hosts, as we had practically "disrespected their privacy" says the blond (not that I cared) and they could have accused us of trespassing ( they freakin asked us to investigate in the first place. Such a thing, as searching through the rooms should be foreseen).

Nevertheless, when I woke up I didn't except to see the two we met on the road to be waiting in the living room eating breakfast. The Professor and the blonde child ( Ai-kun if I remember correctly) sat at the table with the residents eating like it was the second most normal thing for thee strangers to be here, first being breathing.

"What brought you here?" I asked with no greetings or good mornings. The professor looked at the child before he faced me and Yui next to me.

"W-we were checking the forest for camping trip I planned next week with the kids and then we… we got lost. Heh," he laughed with his hand behind his head. I couldn't help but feel it was fake. After years of working in the police you tend to know a lie from the truth without a second guess and I smelled something fishy…

"Hmm, what a coincidence you ended up here, huh?" …but I played along.

I wanted to know what they are up to, to know why they would have to lie. "Yeah" he answered with hesitation.. The man can't lie, even though he tries.

We joined them at the table and Yui greeted the hosts on behalf of both of us. Not much longer the Osaka's girlfriend and Ayami showed up, chatting lively at this early hour of the day, Yui scolded me, saying 10 am isn't that early to complain about the noise. _Humph,_ What does she know? Right after the brats joined- wait, the blond and the Edogawa kid aren't with them… maybe they're just still asleep.

Regardless of those two, we ate the breakfast with the residents which consisted of the Master, mistress, their 18-year old son, the 12-years old Twins ( identical girl and boy ), and their Aunt. Nothing worth noting occurred, other than the fact that the professor (Agasa, I managed to remember) and the Master were having fun talking about machines and such stuff. It turned out that the Master used to invent some 'useless' machines, though his wife wielded an iron fist to keep him away from the craft. That information might come in handy while investigating the case later on. But for now, something else is prodding in my mind…

The blond girl was avoiding Satoshi by any means up to this point, bluntly refusing to _play. _After she finished her meal she _casually_ asked for the sleeping beauties room who had yet to show up. Ever since she'd notice their late appearance, Haibara'd kept glancing towards the general direction of the door, as if predicting something would happen. It was keeping her on edgy.

The two seemed to not wake even at the maids attempts, and that made them worry about their friends. Putting the kids aside, we started our own investigation regarding the occult happenings. Ayami stayed with Hattori's girlfriend who talked to a maid, while Hattori, Satoshi and that Kuroba brat were exploring the mansion now that it is light out.

I went to watching the odd young girl with the amber hair. After everyone went their own ways she snuck up to the still asleep brats' door, and yes, snuck since she made sure that no one saw her. It was too bad for her I was out of her sight range, watching her as she peeked in. She didn't even get to peak her head an inch passed the door before she pulled it away quickly, a terrified look taking the place of the worried one that was there before. That perked my interest and I was about to give way my hiding spot before I saw Ayami creeping behind her. That's when I retook my place in the shadows and kept on watching, knowing that it wasn't over yet. I let a cigarette.

"What are you up to?~"

"AAAH!"

If the girl was terrified for whatever reason before, then she is _pet_rified now, though thankfully her stunned voice wasn't loud enough to alarm anyone.

"What's wrong? What were you looking at before I came?" What made Ayami even scarier was the smile she was using. It was anything but trustworthy. She was playing the mean investigator just too well that it was putting even me on edge. It wasn't hard to imagine the extent of the young girl's fear that was keeping her wordless.

I looked around and there was no one paying attention to these two, and the closest person in sight would need to vocally alarmed to notice. As for me, I stayed still and watched.

"What? Cat ate your tongue?"

As the girl didn't seem to be able to find anything to say, she did the only thing she could do when her senses were in override, she cried. No, I don't mean the fake annoying thing little spoiled brats do where they press their eyebrows together and squint their dry eyes and then they produce this, this noise that pierces your eardrum. No, not that, it's far, far away from that. She, she cried.

Tears came flooding down like they were real, as if they're natural with wail that did not accompany the '_She's not giving me what I want'_ No it was more like '_I'm scared, I'm terrified, I'm scared, I'm afraid, I'm scared. There is a beast, a monster threatening my life, I'm scared and if you don't come to save me I'll cry my heart out until it literally comes out or my eyes become blinded._'

It stunned me. I saw what was going on and I've met the child before and this wasn't like her. She proved to me that she was smart and maybe even used to being in the middle of danger, or else why would she have been paranoid about Yui's and my conversation back then? She seemed like a mature girl and that such level of interrogation, only that single question, shouldn't be much to faze her. It shouldn't cause her to cry yet she was. Within mere seconds tears were flooding_, flooding_ from her eyes.

At that moment I felt a new sense of respect for this child. Haibara Ai is a name I won't be forgetting any time ever.

Why? Simple, she easily took advantage of her young age and played the part most befitting to runaway from an unwanted situation. How am I sure it wasn't sincere, it wasn't _really_ what she felt? Because I'm sure. She has the eyes of a mature, capable person, able to withstand tough situations. Situations that are far worse than this. Therefore, I'm hundred percent sure it is all an act. A perfect act that would bring an audience on its knees. It stunned me so much that I dropped my cigarette and forgot all about my hiding place.

Haibara's cry caught the attention of the eldest son, Dmitri, who had a punk-emo style or something like this. "What's wrong? What happened?"

"S-S-she…!"

As Haibara pointed her finger shakily at Ayami the boy's eyes turned, full of suppressed anger that was ready to explode, as he glared at her and demanded "What did you do!"

"N…Nothing , I was just talking to her, that's all , right?" She turned to the kid for confirmation but all she got in return was a loud fearful gasp and the child buried her head further in the boy's shirt.

"Aren't you ASHAMED of yourself? Bullying such a young child!" By then the place was surrounded by maids and whoever was close by.

"Here, here let's go wash your face" he said as he led her down the hallway and to the toilet.

I couldn't follow without blowing my cover. I cursed my luck and stayed in my place as I lit yet another cigarette.

Yui came to me as she as well was brought here by the commotion. "What happened?"

"You know for some reason I've heard that question more than three times already in less than fifteen minutes."

"Huh?"

"It's better you don't know."

"If you say so." This time Ayami came towards us with a baffled expression. "What was that all about?"

"Uhm? I got owned that's what happened… Sigh~"

"Hmm..?"

"What were you trying to get from her?" I cut in.

"It's noth-

"Don't say it's nothing when it's obviously is" I retorted a bit too quickly.

_Sigh_ "Okay.." I saw her taking a glance at the door before she looked back at us and continued "I am in…"

"You're in..?" Yui encouraged her to continue.

"I'm investigating something which I still have to get any solid proof at with not just my hunch. And honestly I'm not so keen about that Edogawa-kun."

"Why? I know he's not in the best mental state, but what he went through wasn't easy either. You should've heard of it haven't you?"

"Well, I know- Wait what did he go through? All I heard was that he was kidnapped and that didn't seem to be a first for him, what's so different about this kidnapping case?"

"It's not just any kidnapping case. His guardians weren't even called for ransom, that's why it took a lot of effort to find him and when we did, it was a bloody miss. The kidnapper, one as far as we know, had done a number on him, from physical to mental torture. Did you see the freaking basement? Not that actually went to see it, as much as I wanted to go, but I was mailed pictures. It was full of medieval torture tools. 'Til now, no one knows what had been used on him and what hadn't, but by the time they found him he had obviously snapped and managed to knockout his offender, somehow or another, though he himself was not moving nor seemed to see anything around him… Compared to then, now is heaven. Did you know that when any woman that tried to get within a yard of him, he'd become violent, but not just scream but completely freak out… He'd kick and scratch until that woman ran away, even his guardian who he was so attached to… She had to move out for both their sakes. There was one exception though. You know that Satou-Keiji? I think she was the only one who could come near him at that time, and he still hholds her in higher standing than any else." I explained to her what I already knew

"Which is weird when you think of it. I mean, the kidnapper was a man right? I big bulky man. Shouldn't he be scared of men, especially ones with big build rather than women? Nothing in the investigation showed any sign of any females being involved at all." Yui added her own questions regarding my tale.

"That's why the case ain't close yet." I answered the questioning look of Ayami.

"…Wow. Did that all really happen? I was only told the brief summary, as I once had to deal with his venustraphobia. How do you two know all that?"

"Even though our precinct isn't responsible for the case, when the searching parties were organized, we were helping, and so were lots of other branches, so we were part of the search crew. Of course we'd know"

After that we all went our own ways to continue our investigations.

* * *

_**Haibara Ai POV:**_

That idiot almost got me. Anyway I need to make sure no one opens that door or else trouble will befall all of us. First, though, I have to take care of this guy.

"_Sniff, sniff__._ Thanks oniichan s_niff, sniff_"

The older boy dried my face with a towel nearby. When he heard me speak, he stopped a moment, stared at me, and then smiled. It was easy for me to see that, regardless of how he dressed himself up, he really wasn't a bad person.

"It's okay, just be careful and try to stay away from that woman. If she keeps bullying you, just tell me and I'll shoo her away for you."

Yeah right, like you can drive away someone that even _That_ guy couldn't. "H-Hai! Thanks again Oniichan"

"Do you know the others? It sounded like they knew you."

"Well, I do know Hattori-niichan and Kazuha-neechan. Inspector Yamato and Uehara as well. But I never met the rest…" He handed me a glass of water to drink.

"You were kinda standing in front of that little boy's room. Do you know him, too?"

_CRASH!_

"H..Huh?" I asked in a voice that betrayed me.

"Ah, shit.. don't worry I'll get it, just don't move around. It's dangerous. You might get cut by the shards."

_Huh? _ _What's happening? Why am I so high up? Oh. _Then I registered what had occurred. After I was asked about Conan, images of what I'd seen in the room came to me. That's what made me anxious enough to drop the glass I was given. To get me away from the shards, the boy hauled me up and over them to the other side, before he called the maid to clean it up.

I had my thoughts wonder back to the reason I had lost focus enough to drop the glass. I didn't see who I expected to, instead I saw some new thing/being taking over the already strange boy and make him even stranger. I can tell the difference between Conan and _That _other child. But this inhuman thing is neither… A new guy, spirit whatever, and he didn't look harmless… _Sigh_ how troublesome.

"Ai-kun, are you alright?" Kazuha asked me and it didn't seem like a simple '_fine_' would do the trick. Ah, great, another persistent person to deal with, and no, I don't mean it as a compliment. There have been just too many of those stubborn kind lately. It was starting to make me hate them just by looking at their faces. Is everyone the persistent type? _Ughr_ I can feel a shiver run down my spine.

Now, how to get rid of these two?

"I'm fine neechan, just a bit dizzy from all that screaming. Would it be alright to go and take a nap? I know it's kind of early for one, but I really need it. If it's alright with you, uh..?"

"Dmitri "

"..Dmitri-niichan. Can you show me to whatever room I'll be occupying?"

"Uhm…that will be hard. You see, all our guest rooms are taken. Maybe we can find you someplace downstairs."

"All of them? But if I caught the conversations correctly, didn't every three people take a room? Adding to your rooms, there should still be three rooms empty. Right?" Since I'm here, I might as well know what brought the detectives and police officers here. And knowing a thing or two about the place I'm staying at won't do me harm. "Oh, and since I'm at it, I wanted to ask about the right wing. It seemed to me like its door is always closed. I even had rest along the edges of the frame. It doesn't seem like it has been touched recently, why?"

"Actually, Dmitri-san I was wondering about that too. Is it ok to tell us?" Kazuha may have been asking, but the way she had said it meant there would be consequences if she didn't get an answer.

"…."

"I..I'm sorry I didn't mean to intrude. If you don't want to talk about it then you don't have to, Dmitri-niichan"

"She's right. You can forget we ever asked, Dmitri-san…"

"We don't have the keys" He cut her concessions. They were making him feel bad for not answering.

"…And we're just guest we shouldn't be going around.. Huh? Keys?"

"Yeah. The places that are locked are mostly places that we either didn't get their keys when we moved in, or they are keys that we lost throughout our stay. It's a big house and we really didn't need the other space. Not to say we didn't want to know what was in there. After the keys were lost we tried to replace them, but the doors were too old. After losing hope of getting through the doors, we tried to enter it from different ways, such as climbing trees and scaling walls. That only proved to bring bad luck and we got injured and such."

" B... bad luck? You don't mean g-ghosts, do you?" The ever so supernatural phobic asked.

"No, no, no, of course not. I said it was bad luck, not spooks. We'd be stupid or careless and drywall would crumbled. I'd fallen off more than one windowsill in the attempts."

"Oh, so you did reach the windows?" I asked.

"Well, we never got to the point of looking in before those incidents happen. That's why we lost interest and left those rooms alone."

"But are you sure this and what happens at night are unrelated?" Kazuha cut in what seemed like the ending of the conversation.

"What do you mean?" The boy wonders.

"L…like maybe a _CURSE_ is on this castle and that's why you never got to see the sealed rooms, and all those weird things happen at night."

"…No way, I don't believe in curses. And it's definitely not the work of any ghost. I'm sure of it."

"_Phew_, that's much more relaxing to know, right Ai-kun?" She turns to me and asks me with that reassuring smile, as if trying to say there is nothing to worry about anywhere.

"You're a _Baka__._" I couldn't stop the snide remark from leaving my mouth, adding it to the innocent smile I meant to use for confirmation to her question"

I normally would have been more angry with her, thinking that the answer was a ghost. There was always a logical answer, at least, there used to be. Nowadays, I'd believe anything about ghosts and such. After all, I have living proof, and one I've been close to for so long that it is hard to deny anymore.

Oh well, it slipped, nothing can be done about it anymore, therefore I ignore their baffled looks and walk away. Great, now we know something about this mansion, but what about _him__?_

As I reach a corner where no one could hear me and stand facing the window, I mumble to try and organize my thoughts about the enigma known to the world as Conan Edogawa. When I entered the room earlier, I saw the blond teen Kudo once talked about working with him on a couple of cases. He seemed to be in a deep sleep, but that's not what scared me. Conan, or the child, as I no longer know what to call him, wasn't emitting his aura or _that_ guy's aura either… It was a new, much more inhuman, malicious aura than I've never felt from him before, I wouldn't be surprised if it is the thing that's (probably) been bothering the residents. "But what if what I'm thinking is true, would that make 4 souls in one body?" I give it some more thought before I add to my mumbling "Oh wait, but right now he doesn't seem to be among them, therefore we're back to three…"

"Three what?"

Calmly, I raise my head towards the source of the voice which was coming from right in front of me…. On the other side of the window Kudo's look-alike asked me. I stared at him some more as I try to register what lie to fee him.

This was a first for me, talking to someone hanging outside a window . I left the crowd of teenagers, before, to a secluded area, here, where I can think as loud (not that I say much beside the occasional mumbling) without the fear of someone creeping up from behind me or eavesdrops on my thoughts. Then, in the midst of one of the most dangerous/secretive thoughts, I hear this voice asking me to clarify it more, right now. Cool, I guess I can explain to him my own theory of our little friend's condition even though he is a total stranger, who for the record is somehow attached to the window from the outside. Where there is no tree close enough to stand on ….. _OFCOURSE NOT! And he's suspicious to begin with! What SHOULD I DO! HOW much did he hear! How do I know he didn't hear anything important? SHIT, Shit, shit!_

"So? You were saying three, three what?" Insert a smile from one cheek to the other.

"THREE FLOORS! I was talking about three floors! WHY? WHAT DID YOU THINK I WAS TALKING ABOUT?"

"… whoa, girl calm down, ojouchan. It's not like I'm threatening you or anything. But three floors huh? I was sure I was forgetting something."

I didn't beilve he was buying the lie so easily. Though it seemed like he was talking about something I don't know. But, hey if my lie somehow connects with something in his mind why should I ruin it?

"So you think there is third floor too, right? Wait, forget that. More importantly, where did you come from?" I move to look out the window as he made his way inside of it, but there was nothing he could've stood on.

"Now that you mention, I believe when I first came here I had the same impression. That there were three floors, but there ain't any stairs leading to anywhere higher than here. At least, not that I've seen. Who knows if it's hidden? Hehee"

"What's with that laugh? And you still didn't answer me, where did you show up from"

"You and me, ojouchan, are going to Explore!"

"H-huh?"

Before I knew it, I was in the hands of some teen who looks remarkably like Kudou Shinichi and we were jumping out of the window of the second floor to a ground, bare of everything but grass.

As the rush of adrenaline took over me, all I could do was close my eyes tightly and wish we'll be alright. It may only be the second story, but the house had unusual high ceiling for the ground level, making the second even higher.

"Ano~ we reached earth a while ago. You can open your eyes."

True to his words, I open my eyes to find him in a crouching position on the ground. I quickly jump away from him and glare.

"What the Fuck! Couldn't you have been more _normal_ and taken the main door to get out?" Screw the innocent kid face, I could care less what he thinks!

"Oh~*pout* I was just trying to make a shortcut for you. Don't you like it?"

"Are you a_ MORON_? _That _is dangerous! It could've ended badly! If you want to practice suicide, then _DO IT AWAY FROM ME_!"

"Wow, you really don't trust me in the least, do you?"

"_OF COURSE NOT! _You. Are. A. Freakin' _STRANGER!_" *pant-pant*

"Not anymore~ Here, my name is Kuroba Kaito, magician" at that, a rose made a flashy appearance from his palm. "Nice to meet you, ojou-chan." He said in what I think was meant to be a seductive voice special for kids, and he offered his hand for me to shake.

All I did was stare at it before a sigh came out and I gave in. Well, he doesn't seem dangerous. "Haibara Ai, none of your business."

"Isn't that the part where you say _elementary__ school__ student?_"

"Shouldn't you have said High scholar instead of a magician?" I snapped

"...Uh… you got a point." He retreated his hand dejectedly after I have made it clear that I won't take it.

"You surely didn't have us jump from the _second floor_ for introduction, now did you?" I shifted my weight to my left leg and crossed my hands, with an impassive expression on.

As I waited for his answer, I turned my head to observe my surrounding. It was still before noon and the sun gave a very nice, warming effect to the scenery. With only a few meters boarder line of plain of grass between the mansion's walls and the forest's tree-line of the forest, it makes a person to want a house in middle of the nowhere, like this one, even if it meant they didn't have many neighbors.

"Of course not. When you mentioned the third floor I thought there was no better way to check if our hypotheses had any base other than to come outside." He flayed his arms wildly as he explained his genius plan. But as the minutes passed and only silence greeted him, he added. "Make much sense?"

"…Yeah, so basically you had me jump, again let me repeat, you_ made _me jump from_ the second floor, _just so you can check for the third floor. Why?" I raised an eyebrow at the last part.

"What do you mean _why_? You are the one who shined light on the mystery. Don't you want to know how it turns out?"

"… Fine. Why would you check the outside, when it's more logical to check inside for any way up? Any _official_ way up?"

"What do you mean _'official'? Y_ou make me sound like a thief. And plus I did tour the inside nothing resembling third floor stairs comes to mind."

"Well, excuse me, but if you realize you freakin' showed up from the window. Now, do you call that normal? If you really looked for any 'normal' way up, you probably missed it because of how messed up your definition of the word is!"

"You know you've been swearing a lot, young lady, that ain't normal for someone like you. "

"Fine, again, we're even. Can you shut up and get on with finding the stairs?"

But man, was I right! Now that I actually looked for it, it does look like there is a third floor. I wonder how I came to spit such a meaningful lie an accurate guess as I lie. Even my subconscious mind is smarter than these idiots. And who knows, with the third floor being so well hidden it might give me an answer as to what do with the obviously now possessed boy. I just hope it doesn't harm anyone, or attract any attention and stay locked in that room. Is that mean to think? Not caring about the blond detective the least bit? Whatever, let's keep my focus on the task at hand.

As for my partner for this case, he had paused while he stared at the foot of the wall behind him. Watching him from behind, bend his torso ninety degrees to the left side slowly, as he observed whatever it was, made me want to laugh at his comical actions.

After he had finally seemed to reach a decision he turned to me in that position and asked me "How about we start from there?"

I looked past him. There was a hole in the ground around the base of the building. "It might be a basement. We could just ask a maid to get us through the door.""

"Huh~? Why? I don' wanna go tru da door! Dat ain't adventulous!" Oh, he's wining and baby talking to top it off… _Sigh~_

"Hai, hai. What do you wanna do then?"

His eyes sparkle as I give in and he licks his tightly sealed lips as he seems to think over his next words. "How about you go in dere? Teck it ou', search fol anyting dat could be useful and den tell me~yay!"

_Sigh_ "Why me?"

"da hole iz too tmall fol big Kaito! Can't you see?" and just when I thought he had finished he added, "Tupid"

"Okay. That's it, are you on drugs? I'm pretty sure I'm the kid here."

"No! Kaito no take no dlugs." I turned my head to the side, as I was getting tired of it.

"You're not going to stop, are you?"

"Wat ale you talkig abou' ?"

Ah, great! "Fine! If I get in, would you stop?"

He stayed silent a bit as he swayed his body sideways. "Maybe~"

"Alright, alright. Here I go! God help."

"Don't worry, I'll be right here if anything happens." He said, looking me in the eye seriously. It fazed me a little, as it made me feel as if I'm going into some dangerous place.

"Is that an advanced payment?"

"Huh? Wat ale you talkin' about?" _B__etter _I thought to myself. "tupid." Okay, would've been better off without the last part.

I peeked through the hole to see the area before I could have gotten myself into anything regrettable. From the outside it looked like any other normal basement, even though it was deeper than most, but that was nothing too surprisingly, taking the whole mansion into consideration.

I crawl through the hole and make my way down the wall. It wasn't hard considering all the junk below the window was piled high enough for me to step onto. No sooner had I stepped onto it, the junk toppled to the ground. Woo! Thankfully, I wasn't in any danger as the junk had been under me was soft and gave me a quick shortcut to the ground.

"Are you alright?"

"Hai!"

"Be carefu-"

His cutout made me look up at him. I saw his face filled with horror as he seemed to look at something behind me. Just before I managed to take a look at whatever it was, he screamed. "Don't move! Just wait and hide, and I'll be there right away!"

"huh?"

I didn't even get to finish my word, or sound, before he sped off somewhere, leaving me here alone. Oh well, it's not like I could've climbed up.

Since I'm here, I might as well take a look around, or else I might face the wrath of a baby talking magician. Who knows what kind of pranks, not that I've seen any so far, he'll pull on me. I trend down the mountain of stuff with utmost caution in the room lightened by the only window/hole and my entrance. As I look around, hardly making anything out in the darkness, I search for the secrets the house has been trying to hide.

The door was somewhere in front of me where the rays of sunshine couldn't reach and therefore it was impossible to see much of it. I left it alone and walked around the bright areas. But soon after, I felt something attack me from behind. Rather than a normal attack, I felt pain knowing nothing was making physical contact. I didn't know what was going on and when I managed to look around I didn't find anything. I started to panic, but even that didn't help me as I kept feeling something heavy hitting me. The weirdest thing about all this is that no matter how hard I can feel this _thing _hitting, I can't feel anything solid, it's like air passing me by except it each time swept against my body it hurt.

As I tried to run away, I kept feeling it more and more. With each set of painful hits I become drowsier than before. And, before I could figure out what was going on and how to stop it, I blacked out.

_I'm sick and tired of these looks I'm getting. If you have the time to pity me then please pity yourselves first. I'm the luckier one of you all, you pity my initial state of insanity, and I pity your life's lived by ignorance. _

_At Least I'm lucky by knowing I ain't living long and that's my only happiness in the life I live. We live moving forward towards death, a thing many fear and others wish upon anything and everything for it to come closer and claim them. _

_Right now I'm living towards that goal and I'm filling it by taking care of what was born from the mask created by the guest. I'll take care of the little one and try to give it more space and freedom to play its game called life._

* * *

**Hello everyone! I know it's been soooo long**! **And I'm sorry for whoever was waiting, forgive me?**

**As for this chapter I wanted something long to be able to see with after the long disapperance act, again sorry. I hope it comes to your liking ^_^**

**BTW **kid**, at the same day of your comment i re-started working on the story. Sorry for the long wait**

**Of course, as always thanx for whoever commented and all the Story alerts and Fav, thank you very much. And I'm waiting for more Reviews as to keep my motive working =]**

**PS: don't forget to thank dear **LostInTheDreams** for betaing, the poor gal must be dead tired she just sended me the correction and went right to sleep. I know my writing needs _lots_ of correction, so it's too much trouble for someone to work and not complain. Thanks for everything!**

**Now I'm waiting for your reviews dear readers! Please don't dissapoint me _sniff sniff_  
**


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13:

"Are you alright?"

"Hai!"

"Be carefu-"

When Haibara fell, something reflected the light; it was a padlock on the door. The moment I saw it, I panicked.

"Don't move! Just wait and hide, and I'll be there right away!" With that I sped off towards the closest entry to the houses. The reason I panicked when I saw the padlock was because it was locked, form the inside. Or else I wouldn't have seen it. And obviously a padlock can't be tampered with from the other side of the door. Therefore, it meant that there was a possibility of someone hiding in there with her. That or whoever locked it then piled the junk and furniture inside to climb out the window. But then, why lock the door? I wasn't going to hang on that the hope that whoever it was, was gone without solid evidence I can hold.

Even though I said I'd be there right away, I didn't even know what I'd do when I - If I could - reach her. She can't climb out anymore, and it'll take some serious help for me to come down to her from the window. The door was still padlocked from the inside too, but I had more chance with the lock than I did not hurting myself getting in falling in the window, if I could wedge myself in. I just hope she hasn't gotten herself in any more trouble than that. My best chance was breaking down the door… _I doubt I can do that_!

As I ran looking for both a door to the basement and a maid, whichever came first, I found Hattori in my way. _Might as well use him_.

"Oi Hattori! Did you see any basement doors or anything that might lead to a basement?"

"...? There are so many locked doors in this place that I can't say I have."

I slowed down in front of him and just cursed my memory. Of course there are a million, if not more, possible targets. But I can't check them all! I don't have enough time!

"What's wrong? Why are you searching for a basement?"

I stared at him blankly for a few seconds, because I had totally no idea what to do. All those doors... we tried opening almost all of them before, when we were touring the place, and they wouldn't budge. And that girl is behind one of them. The problem is we don't know which door! There must have been dozens and dozens scattered around the mansion. There was no glass in the door I was looking for, to help in breaking in and it was padlocked to top it off.

"I… I might have suggested something d…dangerous" I surrendered to the guilt.

She has no way out, except for the hole. The door is locked from the inside. If only she could find the key on her own, but for some reason I doubt it will be that easy. What I really fear is there being someone else in there. Maybe I'm just being paranoid? No! Something must be wrong down there, or else why would my heart beat so fast? I'd come to identify danger long ago and I trust my instincts. I don't like the feeling I was getting from this one. I have to get her out as fast as possible.

"Oi what are you talking about?" He held my shoulder tightly as he demanded an answer.

"I … I asked the little girl to get into the basement through a hole in the ground. But when she went in, her bridge tumbled and now she can't climb out again. And I... I'm afraid the reason behind the door being locked from the inside is that there is someone in there with her... I just have a really bad feeling about it!"

"Calm down. I'm sure there is nothing that dangerous. After all, the doors have been locked for years now. I doubt anyone is still in there, alive at the very least."

"B... but I still feel uneasy about it, and would prefer to have her out of that place as soon as possible!"

"Ne, niisan, can't you just throw her a rope from the hole she went through?" The little boy, who I only noticed then was there, said. He made me feel the urge to slap my face. Why does something so simple escape my mind at the critical times?

"We'll do that! One of us will go back to the hole as the other search for a rope!" I say hurriedly. After all, I wanted to avoid leaving her alone unless truly necessary.

"Wait! Where is she?" the Osakaan detective caught my hand before I could sprint away to search for a rope.

"She's … _Ugh_! I won't know how to direct you. It's easier if I just take you there."

"Fine, you take me there and, Satoshi, you go and ask someone for a rope."

"But how will I know where to find you?"

"Call me."

"Hai."

I ran back to where I left her with Hattori hot on my heels. As odd as it sounds, as I looked for the hole, it wasn't easy to find. Even with shouting the girl's name hoping for a reply as I search for the slump in the dirt.

Just like that it was gone. I went scanning the place for a few minutes, yet the pit was as hard to find a needle in a haystack. I start digging where I remember I saw it.

"Are you sure this is the place?" Hattori asked me sceptically.

"Yes, Yes!" I can't handle it. I finally broke down as I hysterically started digging even deeper.

"Just in case, let's search the surrounding."

"Do whatever you want, I'm sure it's here!" I yell at him as I start digging bare handed. The soil was hard from years of rain and the natural endurance of time, nowhere near soft enough for me to think that someone had just covered it up.

He leaves me to dig as he checks out the other side. Just as I am about to give up I feel my fingers touch nothingness as the earth crumbles underneath them. _I found it!_

"I FOUND IT! I Found it!"

"Then lets hurry!" Hattori hastily joins me in digging, to clear the place out, until we reached the edge of a wall.

It seemed like the hole was just a big crack in the building's wall. But the crack itself wasn't big enough for any of us to fit in. And as much as I hope I'm wrong, I don't think that Satoshi can get in either. He's taller than the girl… and Conan.

"Oi! Haibara! Do you hear me?"

Hattori didn't seem to waste any time thinking about it.. "Oi! Haibara!"

No answer

I started to really freak out then

Satoshi found that disappointing moment to come with the rope and one of the servants, the gardener.

"Here, I found this. Will it do?"* Pant-pant*

"What's going on? I heard a kid got in some kind of a basement or hole. I didn't really understand." The servant questioned us as he come closer and peaked through the hole. "It doesn't look like anyone's in there. Are you sure?"

"Yes! Yes I'm sure! The little girl that came this morning is the one who went in there!" I quickly tell him as the panic finally gets the better of me.

"There seem to be a door. Let's try and go in through it. But are you sure she couldn't have already gotten out?"

"Went out How? She got to climb down safely due to the junk you see down there. But it tumbled down! How do you expect her to get out? Obviously not through the door. Look carefully. It's still locked with a pad lock! And it's a PADLOCK you can't lock it from the other side of the door!"

"Just in case, let's search for both the door and the girl, if she's in there that is."

"Let's call more people, it'll make it easier" Hattori suggested

Just as we were about to leave the area, I remembered what happened no too long ago.

"Wait!" I shouted as all three turned to me. "I don't know how it happened or why, but when Hattori and I got here the hole was buried under the dirt even though I hadn't left it for more than ten minutes."

"Let's put a mark or a guard, just in case she either shows up or that happens again." Hattori proposed.

We all thought of leaving Satoshi, but what if something/one really was in or around the gap in the wall, and didn't want us to find the girl? It/he/she might be dangerous. Leaving him alone would be like throwing another kid into the mess. And we need the servant. Putting a mark won't be enough. It was either Hattori or me. Honestly, I was just too jumpy and scared to stay in one place. Even if they left I'd probably leave to have a look around to make sure the girl didn't get out. Hattori is just too hot-headed to sit still as well.

"Your girlfriend, she knows some self-defence doesn't she?" I blurt out as I point my finger on Hattori.

"Kazuha? Yeah Aikido... That's a good idea. Kazuha and Satoshi can stand guard! Wait.. how did you know?"

*Gulp* "Just guessing. It isn't important. So you think she can do it?"

"Yeah, definitely! I'll call her right now." He immediately got out his phone and dialled the seemingly well memorised number.

_Talking about calling__._ "Say Satoshi, you didn't call. How did you know how to get here?"

"Hmm? I just searched around a bit, that's all. You weren't that hard to find."

"Really?"

He nodded his head slowly and gave me a wary look, or a 'are you crazy look'. I couldn't really tell. "… Yeah, why? is there something wrong about that?"

"No, just checking." Though I couldn't help but be a bit suspicious. I shook my head as I tried to chase those silly thoughts away. _This day is so tiring and__ it not even past noon yet__. God forbid what might happen before the end of the day. "_Say you don't mind staying with her, do you? After all, two is much safer than one."

"Sure thing"

As Hattori waited for the girl to come down, I went searching for more people who might know about the locked away room, such as a maid, the butler, and the chief that were nearby. When I brought them back to give them a better grasp of the situation, I found Hattori's girlfriend there, listening to the tanned detective as he briefed her in.

After Kazuha and Satoshi settle, we all went our separate ways. The servants went searching for the basement from the inside as Hattori and I went upstairs to ask for more help. As expected, almost all the house guests were upstairs and we didn't come across anyone as we made our way to them. But they weren't the only one's up there. In fact, I was hoping I would find a certain someone still asleep so I could relieve some of my pent up anger.

When we reached the last door in our examination of the rooms and the brit wasn't anywhere around, I went back to the guests to see if anyone had seen him. "Excuse me, Hakuba didn't happen to wake up did he?" I held my poker face the best I could the moment I saw the one eyed inspector.

"Haven't seen anyone coming outta there, that's for sure." Well, I'm pissed off now. How am I supposed to burn of energy on him when he's sleeping still? Might as well wake him up…

I stared at the door Hakuba was hiding behind for a while before rage took over and I started banging the door as I shouted for the Holmes freak to wake up. It was already past two pm and there were crises happening for heaven's sake! Just the image of him sleeping so peacefully while I was on the way to hysteria only added oil to fire.

That got the attention of almost all who were around. The response I got from the others in the house left me wondering whether I should be ashamed or angrier.

The one who opened the door was definitely not who I wanted to vent my anger on. Conan-kun unlocked the door and stood hesitatingly behind it. The cute, childish gesture made me feel a pang of guilt that shoved my anger to the back of my mind. It didn't help that he looked up at me with those scared eyes, that he was rubbing the sleep from, as he hid behind the slightly opened door.

"I... I... I" I was fully expecting Hakuba to be the one on the other side of the door to the point that I forgot all about the other occupant of the room.

"Nani Ka-nii? You're being scary.."

"What the… Kuroba? What do you think you're doing?"

_Oh Shit!_ I thought _I angered the brother! Damn, what did I get myself into?_ As the tanned teen made his way over with parental anger all over his face.

"I'm sorry. I really thought Hakuba would answer…"

"THAT still gives you no right to shout at Conan!"

"Haku-nii is still asleep." Only then did the boy timidly raise his head to look me straight in the eyes. "Is something wrong?" he shyly titled his head to the side.

I didn't know how such a normal, casual question made even more guilt well up my chest. Oh, I know. A flash of the girl's face came to me. That's when a question as normal as that gave me more negative feelings.

"You say Haibara's is MISSING?"

At that Conan's head spun toward the source of the sound. It seemed like Hattori had went back to the original task, to recruit more help, or else Yamato-keiji wouldn't have yelled.

"Is Ai really missing?"

Just when I was about to answer, Heiji cut in. "Don't worry. With everyone searching, it won't be long 'til she's found."

He didn't seem surprised at the fact that the girl was here even though he was asleep before she and the Hakase came, and had never woken up to meet her. _Wonder what's__ that's__ about…_

"Oh My! Ai-kun is?" The Hakase finally came into the picture. I look back at the boy and just as I figured out, he was totally unfazed by the new guest. _Am I missing something?_

Turning back to the inspectors, I find they were all gathered behind me. I couldn't help but wonder what Ayami keiji was thinking. There was something about that look in her eye that singled her out among the others. I'm not sure how I can explain it, but it was as if she feared something like this might happen. Her expressions switched from worry to confusion before she seemed to have reached a conclusion. One she wasn't keen on. But just when I thought she was done contemplating, and I was ready to move on to reading someone else's face, it turned back to confused one more. Of Course, an inspector having as much experience as she must have for being in her job, didn't let all those emotions run freely on her face. That didn't hinder me though. As I, a fellow and a superior Poker Face user, I can read people that much better.

I was brought back to reality by a tug on my jeans. I look down to catch Conan's eye as he looked ready to say something.

"Did you see my bunny?" I was caught off guard and my mind went blank, with only one thing going through it _Huh?_ But that didn't stop me from noticing Hattori's reaction, as he was still close by.

His eyes grew wide and…. fearful maybe? The question definitely meant something to him. When I found that Heiji wasn't about to say anything, I replied to Conan with a shake of the head. "Why? Does that have something to do with Haibara's disappearance?"

The boy stared at me a bit as he thought about the question with no other emotion displaying, making it hard to read his line of thoughts. Just when I thought he was ignoring me, he answered, his eyes staring absent mindedly to the tanned one behind me. "If that's so..." He pauses for a bit, his eyes not moving, as if seeing something that was not there. "Then that's okay… Very."

I didn't get the last part but I ignored it, knowing I won't get any answers due to the the kid's weird behaviour. The unnerving part is that EVERYONE seems to be behaving weirdly today. _God, let the day pass with no more accidents…_

* * *

**3****rd**** POV: **_**Satoshi**_

Looking up, Satoshi noticed that the teenagers were briefing the others of what had happened. He ignores them and returns to the video game that he was playing in favour of hearing his partner's babbling as they guarded the window

"W-What if it is a Ghost? Oh my! That'd be dangerous! Satoshi-kun don't you leave me. I'll protect you and it's safer to be together…."The ever supernatural-phobic teenager kept on talking but honestly, Satoshi just zoned out after he got the main point. She was scared of being alone, dot.

He couldn't help but feel the twinge in his heart. Now, this time it wasn't your normal _fall in love_ twinge. But because he _did_ love her, he felt a bit betrayed, or maybe better word, disappointed at seeing her so… so… He couldn't find another word than annoying. She's started making a fool out of herself. He knows that everyone is scared of something and she got all the right to be, but right now it seems to be more like a girly trait to draw boys to her rather than it being an honest fear. For the record, that isn't cute, at least not to him. What is the whole "Oooh I'm scared of this and that" for? Well, if she's trying to impress anyone, it's not working.

Therefore, he counted to ten. After that didn't seem to be enough for the flow of her babbling to ebb, he counted to ten again. It went on and on. Two hours passed before she seemed to calm down. Even if it was just temporarily, it was nice to have some silence. _Sigh, it seems like no one found anything yet… _That brought Satoshi to only two conclusions:

The girl was either in there and for some reason not answering their calls, indicating that she had fainted or was knocked out.

Or the second possibility was that there was someone amoug them who didn't want the girl to be found. They could have gagged her and then joined the group, or worse, taken her somewhere outside the mansion where they wouldn't be able to find her.

As he was enjoying the peace and quiet, she started again. _Sigh~_

"What if they can't find her anymore? It has to be those ghosts that kept on playing prank on the residents! It has to be that! Wha..What should we do?"

_Not that again!_ Just as he was going back to his counting, he heard a very distant and far away sound. Subconsciously, he stood up. He concentrated on his hearing, trying to figure out what the sound was, but the constant blabbering of the girl behind him was getting on his nerves and distracted him. "SHHH!"

His demand and angry tone got her to do exactly what he wanted, even if she did it involuntary. Now that that was done and over with, he closed his eyes and stood still before he returned his full attention on the sound before he lost it. Luckily, he found it quickly. With nothing to distract him now, he was capable to distinguish a few facts about the sound. Or at least what he thought they were...

It sounded as if something big and solid was being dragged across the grassy floor somewhere towards the middle of the forest, or further into the forest. _It just got caught on a rock_ he figured out. But it continued to move without any delay. It went on and on in a straight line away from his hearing. He could make out barely audible sounds of the box rocking from side to side as it was dragged. _What's that?_ _It stopped? _ But the next thing he heard was a distant loud 'Splash' as the thing hit the water with a lot of force.

Curiosity got his feet moving towards the source of the sound. But just because someone was quiet, doesn't mean they weren't there.

"Where are you going? It's dangerous. You'd better stay here."

_Sigh_, "Look here _Kazuha-neesan__._ I honestly am SICK of all that crap you're talking about. Whether you think ghosts are real or not is NONE of my business. IF they come after you, just give them one of your famous Aikido moves. Simple and viola, they'll be running for their lives, if they had any." He ended with a bright, sarcastic smile, a vein visible on his forehead. He ran off towards where he guessed the splashing sound came from.

He walked farther in to the forest, not knowing exactly where, but he followed his instincts. He kept walking the unknown forest until a lake came to his view, the ripples still playing on it provided enough evidence that it had been disturbed recently. _This is the place_ thought Satoshi.

He made his way slowly towards the edges to take a better look of what might have been possibly thrown in there. _It might be something__ from__ the 'kidnapper' or__ evidence of__ the 'Poltergeist activities'. Regardless, If it's still close I might as well pull it out if I can__._His eyes searched the surface for the object of question. It didn't take long to find it. He took off his shoes and jumped in without any delay, swimming towards the depth of the water.

He found a wooden box floating a few feet below the surface and it was big. He wanted to check on what was inside. As he was still comfortable with the amount of oxygen in his lungs, he tried to open it. But it wouldn't budge. He didn't bother spending more unnecessary time on opening it, instead searching for the reason why he couldn't pry it free. When he swam around the box he found that it resembled that of a coffin. It gave him a bad feeling in his gut so he quickened his pace to the side where he glanced a lock that was attached to the side of the box and dangling into the water. _It seems it requires a key to open_.

Gratefully it was a rusty lock and didn't take a lot of effort to break it. He watched at the top of the box slowly slide off, quickly forgetting his anxiety at what he would find inside and replacing it with a desperate need for air that he'd forgotten he needed in all the excitement. He had a lot of possibilities in mind of what it could be as he raced for the surface, and though what happened next had been somewhere among them, it still brought his mind to halt as his upper left arm was grabbed and he was yanked towards the box.

* * *

**I might have done a disappearance act with chapter 12 ( I think) … Ok ok I DID one back then and I'm Sorry! But I swear Chapter 13 was just as it's name/number suggests A CURSE! An ASS everything I want to call it! And I'm sorry if it's not what you expected T^T. ( Actually with the lack of recent reviews I feel like no one is still reading ) Which reminds me **

**Thanx for ****godismetons, meme (x2), Chelseaj500, ****for reviewing on chapter 12, and EVERYONE else from before. **

**You know if you got an idea or something you'd like to see I'll be more than happy to hear :D I welcome criticising with WIDE open arms. So please, make me feel I'm not continuing this story for nothing, ok?**

**I'll say one thing that I'm sure you heard millions of times before, the more I feel that the story got readers the more likely my laziness disease would leave me alone – or at least until I finish the next chapter- and that would result in faster, hopefully better chapters to come ^_^. Uhm yeah don't expect me to keep an eye on the story traffic thing, honestly I don't believe in the number it shows.**

**PS: one more thing I wanted to add, actually two. Num 1: I'm drawing hints for the story – I already did some not sure if I posted them all- to help understand the story more, or to serve as a teaser XD you can check them out on my DA account. There's a link in my profile but here it is again: http : / /alicin . deviantart .com / ( of course I don't have to say delete the spaces right?)**

**The second is that.. Does anyone have a better Name/ Summary for the story? I think I might pull it off Kaito's Category, since it's not mainly him anymore… Any better ideas?**


	14. Chapter 14

_**Chapter 14:**_

"What do you mean he walked into the forest?"

"I dunno! He just stood up and left! He ignored my warnings, saying '_give them one of your Aikido moves and they'll be running away' _or something like that"

Heiji had returned outside after he got a call from Kazuha, telling him about Satoshi. Not daring to move from her place, near the hole, as instructed she called Heiji, as it was the only thing she could think of.

Heiji didn't come alone, but the chief behind him was a welcome sight, as he was going to relieve the girl of guarding duty until further notice.

After the chief claimed his spot near the hole, the couple ran back into the house, to the dining room where Heiji had asked everyone's presence via phone calls to discuss the latest turn of events.

"Let's just hope he doesn't disappear on us, too."

"I'm sorry!" Kazuha said with the tears of guilt in her eyes, "But he went so willingly, so I didn't think... I dunno! I'm sorry!"

"Got it, good thing you didn't run after him and left the hole. Plus, it hasn't been that long since he walked in the forest right? He should come back on his own soon."

* * *

"Ayami, Yui, what's taking you so long? Come on hurry!" Yamato Kansuke and the other three inspectors were giving the tower a full search for anything that might prove important for both cases. He was growing impatient.

He remained in the small hallway as he waited for the other two to finish searching their assigned rooms. When he heard someone talking, he made his way towards the sound. Not being able to make out any words, he walked closer and closer until he reached a door that was left ajar. He positioned himself until he was satisfied with the reception, then he concentrated on the conversation.

"_Why?_ What do you plan to accomplish? Hei saw you, and you can't deny it! What's the meaning of this? Just so you know, I'm not giving up on him! No matter what I won't let _you_ TAKE HIM AWAY FROM ME! I'M NOT GIVING HIM UP, EVEN IF I HAVE TO CLING ONTO HIM WITH MY TEETH ALONE! I WON'T LOOSEN UP! IF MY TEETH SHATTER I'LL KEEP ON CLINGING WITH MY GUMS! Do you _get it_?..."

Somewhere in the middle of the conversation he was able to get a better look at the occupants but he only saw one of them, Conan Edogawa.

"What's that you say? Opening eyes? Whos? Mine? I? Don't fuckin' kid with me! If there's anyone here in need of opening their eyes, it's _YOU! _And _You_ alone! Obviously reality hadn't sunk it's teeth in you yet. Maybe a mirror would help you comprehend your situation? And I'll do my part in reminding you that

YOU'RE FREAKING DEA-_**"**_

Conan cut off his talk before any juicy words left his mouth for Kansuke to hear as the boy noticed the older man spying on him and the room's other occupant- still unknown to the keiji. "…"

The boy stood silently, waiting for the other to start asking the question he expected. As for Kansuke, he walked towards the legally insane kid taking the opportunity to have a look at who the boy was talking to.

When he got a better look inside, after he pushed the door open, he wasn't sure whether he was shocked at what he discovered. More like surprised with the strange behavior he'd already seen from the child. There was no one else in the room – the same room he came to find a bloody mess in yesterday, late at night. The only thing with the child was a bunny.

Kansuke had yet to see any indication to the younger boy's insanity before now, for he didn't see last night's show first hand. Therefore, he tried to keep in mind that the boy was regarded by others as officially insane, or so the papers said, and that there was more to him than just a childish façade. Now, he knew for sure. It made him feel a bit sad that all that wishful thinking about the doctors being mistaken was put down.

But maybe there was something else going on. The spark of interest in his eyes came in a flash of recollection of the Osakaan's facial expression when the bunny was mentioned. Not that the tanned boy said anything. Well, not with his tongue anyway. And the teen is quite famous and worthy of all the compliments on his deduction skills, so maybe there is more to the bunny than meets the eyes. Or the other detective is following his dear friend's lead to insanity as well. Nevertheless, an interrogation with the Osakaan is needed. _For now, __l__et's try and get the best of this little brat here…_

"Say boy, who were you talking to?"

".."

"Oh come on, you don't like me?"

"I do!" The boy answered a bit too fast. He noticed and held up his hands over his mouth quickly to shut it.

"hmm.. Why, I'm flattered. Then why don't you tell me with whom you were talking to?"

He slowly and cautiously removed his hands and straightened up from his sitting position. All the while he never left the older man's gaze.

"I was…" He said uncertainly before he reached a decision, replying with more control in his tone. "Why? Isn't it obvious?"

Mockery was evident in his voice.

An eyebrow went up on the Keiji's face, not sure whether it was a good idea to point out to the boy that there was no one else human here beside the two of them, and the only obvious thing was a bunny, which didn't make sense.

But Kansuke never bothered to hide his thoughts from anyone, neither did he make a habit of sugar-coating them. Thus, he said them as they were. "The only obvious thing here that you could have been talking to is a bunny. A stuffed animal, patch work, and a non-breathing inanimate object. Is that who you were talking to, Conan-kun?"

The keiji definitely didn't expect the response he got from the child.

The boy's lips turned upward in a blink to a crazed smile as he looked back at the bunny as though he was talking to it rather than responding to the older man's question. "Hm. In a twisted sense of things that's _exactly_ who, more likely accurately _what_, I was talking to." He returned his gaze to the keiji and added. "Don't you agree?" Brought on by that freaky, insane smile on his lips, his eyes seemed to twinkle with mischief.

With the look the boy gave him, Kansuke doubted he'd be able to answer with a steady voice.

"Whatever, let's just get back to the dining room." Was all the adult capable of saying. As an afterthought he added "Or do you still have anything to add to that bunny of yours?"

The little boy shook his head negatively after his expression has went back to normal.

"Good" He turned and walked out the room. But when he didn't hear footsteps he looked behind him. The boy had stood his ground, waiting for the adult's attention. When he was granted it, he raised his arms towards Kansuke with a patient look on his face. Kansuke didn't understand the gesture after it had been held in place for a few moments with him only staring back at the boy's eyes. "What?"

Conan tilted his head and demanded "Piggyback"

"Huh?"

When the boy didn't answer back the adult let out a big sigh before he leaned down with a bit more difficulty, due to his crutches, and picked the boy up.

Just when he straightened up and started to make his way back to stairs, Conan whispered in his ear with malice evident in his voice. "I _HATE_ women."

That three word statement conveyed the message loud and clear.

When Kansuke saw the two female officers in their path, who were waiting on him after finishing up their search, he asked them to take one more quick look at everything before they leave. "I'll go on ahead."

* * *

"Satoshi, another kid, is now missing. Though he did walk out on his own, hopefully he'll come back soon. As we continue searching you might as well keep an eye out for him." Heiji lead the meeting where all members of the search party were, excluding the chief who was guarding the hole, in the dining room. That included the master and Mistress, Dmitri, the twins, and their aunt along with all the other servants, Agasa, officers, Kaito, Kazuha, and Conan. Even though it was just past five o'clock in the afternoon Hakuba was still in a deep sleep. It did bother Heiji, so he checked for his pulse and breathing to make sure they were steady. Finding them all normal, he pushed the issue to the back of his mind. _Finding the girl is top priority__. A__fter that__,__ if he stays asleep__,__ we'll figure out something then._

"Anyone got anything to say?"

"Other than the fact that we found nothing? No. Shall we try and break through some of those doors? They've got to budge sometime, and there are enough of us to try and get into them" asked one of the servants.

"Good luck with that. As for me, I think I'll take another look around the first floor."

After everyone was dismissed, only two teenagers remained.

"Kazuha, what will you do? Maybe it's better off if you take a break, maybe a nap even. You do look pale. You didn't catch a cold, did you?" He moved closer, placing his forehead against hers as to check for any fever.

"Uhm.. is it really ok to do that?" She asked hesitant.

"You should!" He sternly demanded, tightening his hold on her forearms. "You two little ones, too. Take a break, you've been working hard," he added, looking at the blond twins.

"Alright, now don't you go get yourself in trouble. Got it?" He gave her one more pat on the shoulder before he went running off.

"I'm behind you" said Kaito, who had been outside the door and waiting for the Kansai boy to finish talking with Kazuha. The magician was followed by Dmitri. But the pair failed to notice an enraged look someone was giving off at their sudden appearance.

"Ok, now, Kari, Ruri, I'm going back to my room. If you need or want anything just come get me." Kazuha said to the twins after everyone else left. The two nodded their heads, ready to retreat to their rooms as well. All of them seemed to have forgotten the presence of one very important person.

Kazuha had just reached the door when a crash was heard. Bewildered at the seemingly out-of-nowhere sound, she curiously looked behind her.

Standing there, beside the table, stood Conan behind the remains of an antique, expensive looking plate.

She looked up from the broken plate, feeling dread creep up on her, though she wasn't sure why. Her eyes finally reached Conan's face, yet she still couldn't tell what it was that came over her. This anxiety, the nervousness that she felt, she couldn't define them. After all, the expression the boy gave her left her wondering - the emptiness of it something that shouldn't exist on another human being.

"That's not good. you should more careful, Conan-kun." She lightly scolded as she leaned down and picked the shards carefully from the ground, into the palm of her hand.

The girl felt a hand on her head. She carefully looked up, but before she was capable of comprehending what happened she found her face first on the ground.

Not until her head hovered in the air, lifted back up off of the floor, did the pain wanted to scream, but she didn't know if she was really afraid or not. It hurt, but she was in shock more than she was pain. When the side of her head went crashing into the table's leg, hard, impacting against her ear, she let out a startled yelp, releasing a tiny sound of pain. Still, the shock kept her from yelling out for help.

Even though her head was being treated like a sack of potatoes, she couldn't see the predator. The hand grabbed her ponytail and pulled it hard at a painful angle. She felt as though each and every hair was being pulled apart separately. A decorated scissor came to her view that came cutting across her face. With the contact, she was able to feel flashes of pain that actually made it through her delirium.

She felt her hand being restrained by a lot of force. Her left hand has been forced to a fist, closing on the shards she had picked, letting them sink deeper and deeper into her skin. Her nose was likely broken due to the first hit to the ground. Her ear felt funny. Her stomach hurt as if it was bruised with a knee kick. She could feel something draped around her neck loosely. The slash across her face burned. She freaked out. And yet she still couldn't scream.

The scissors came to her tear-filled view, this time a face following them as well. Jet black hair covered childish eyes. She didn't have enough time to think about it as the scissors dashed closer to her face and out of view. She panicked, not knowing if she could relax yet, but the she was dragged by her hair further in the room. Though her driver didn't seem to really care where he went, as long as he got to drag her painfully across the ground.

The girl struggled, trying to get out of the small, strong hands. She cried and thrashed around, getting hit by the chairs legs in the process. Her head hurt. Her hair felt as though it would be pulled out. Her face stung badly. Her hand, now loose, still had shards sticking out. Her right hand fingers were crushed. Her stomach pained. Everything was just a rolling mess of pain.

She came to a halt. But she couldn't relax. For a heavy decorative vase came crashing down on her abdomen, fixing her in her place unable to move. The scissors from before where back again in her blurred vision. The hand had readjusted its grip and pulled it down quickly causing her to let out a loud pained scream that was heard all around the mansion. She was so busy with the pain that she didn't notice the sound of the scissors cutting at her hair. Seeing her hair falling in little tangles around her, made her panic and her screaming got higher and louder.

The poor girl kept screaming, still feeling the pain in the back of her neck even though the boy was long off of her by then.

* * *

Heiji had heard her scream and rushed in with the rest of the boys. His haste brought him to the scene of someone who he considered as his little brother cutting the hair of his childhood friend. Maybe even more than that, judging by the way she was screaming as the boy still pulled on her hair. He rushed to the girl's side and forced the little boy off of her, as Dmitri came to aid the girl. He scarcely managed to get the boy to loosen his grip on Kazuha's hair. Only by using all the strength he could muster, and Kuroba's help, did he pry the two apart. The magician then pulled Conan far away from the distressed teen.

It trauma seemed to be too much for Kazuha. She kept screaming, even though she wasn't danger in danger anymore. She didn't even notice those around her until the twins went and brought her a cup of water to help calm down.

When she saw the glass of transparent liquid she quieted down, only to look at it with a face full of confusion as she took her time looking upward to the hand that held it. Seeing the blond hair of the twin girl had her relieved as she came back to reality.

Heiji looked from the dishevelled girl to the little boy still holding onto the scissors that he had vaguely remembered seeing from last night, not that he actually paid much attention to what he was stabbing with. He found that Kuroba had taken good care of the boy as he patted the child's head, mumbling some reassuring words in the boy's ear as he calmed the apparently already calm boy down even more.

Even though he was fond of Conan, and knew he had to be treated special because of what he had been through, he still felt the urge to slap him. Kazuha's screams ran through his head as he looked at her, shivering as she settled.

Finally, the adults entered, not that they could do anything now that they were late. The tanned detective didn't even bother explaining anything; all he did was to try to organize the billion thoughts as he kept staring at the teen magician and the insane boy as they interacted.

* * *

All Kansuke needed to get a vague idea of what might have happened was to look around. The scene of the dishevelled girl, the bloody left hand, the messily cut hair, the remains of the hair on the floor, and the scissor held in the kid's hand was more than enough to get a rough image.

He remembered what Ayami told him about having to deal with his venustraphobia before. He looked behind him and ordered the two inspectors to keep any woman away and preferably out of the room.

"Oi, brat, did you do that?"

He stared at the kid, waiting for any reaction. The boy didn't even bother to look at him.

"Any reason why you did it?"

The one that gave him any indication that he was heard was Kuroba, as he kept the boy close to him.

"Oi, there must have been a reason. Don't worry we won't hurt you, so you can tell us the truth."

At those words the girl snapped.

"What do you mean by that? Why is everyone so protective of him? The freakin bastard has caused a lot of trouble and I have yet to see anyone do anything about it! Why is he even still here? He's supposed to be in an asylum! He is Fuckin' mental! What is he doing here with the rest of us? It's _obvious_ that he's in dire need for surveillance by doctors! This ain't the first time something like this has happened! Yet I still have to see anyone do something about it! Why is he so FUCKING spoiled! Why won't you, ANY of you, throw him in a mental hospital, with the other loonies. He'd fit in _perfectly!_ If you keep this up, one day you'll be taking care of a _murderer_! Done by a seven years nevertheless! Well, will you just sit there and stare at him, pat on his head and whisper some sweet nothing, saying that it'll all be alright? When well you fuckin people WAKE UP? Can't you see he has you, ALL of you, wrapped around his fingers! He's playing you like you're his toys! In fact, all of you are probably much more fun to play with than some lifeless figure! No wonder Ran was in such a baffling state! Of course, when you complain about what's he's doing and everyone is just telling to stay strong and hold it in, as you can plainly see in their eyes that they don't believe you - you would start the need of a shrink too!"

The girl was obviously had some more to say, but Kansuke was interested in one thing she had mentioned. Ran, the second guardian of Conan. What happened to her? "What do you mean, about Mouri-san that is?"

"Ah, of course no one told you any of what REALLY happened. You search for answers for what happened to the brat, and not his guardian! I betch ya you never even asked! Fine, I'll tell you! That" She pointed her bandaged, by Dmitri, left index towards Conan. "BRAT would come every night ever since he was found and stand at the entrance of Ran's room! At the beginning she just thought that he was looking for a source of comfort. She tried to get him to come to her and into her bed. After the third night, she started leaving the door intentionally open and would leave some space on her bed for the boy to sneak in. But what does she get instead? One time, at the middle of the night, she woke up with Conan sitting on her. Not noticing what he was doing, she talked to him nervously, as she wasn't able to see his face well, because of the shadows. But then she noticed that glimmer of something reflecting the moonlight. He was holding a KNIFE! And it was positioned dangerously near her neck! Just before she could regain her senses to scream and wake up her father for help, he left.

And from that time on he'd always show up when she was least expecting it. No matter how many times she told Mouri-ojisan, he would always tell her 'you must be dreaming' or 'it can't be helped, I bet it's only now temporary. Wait a bit and he'll definitely return to normal." And the most was 'Can't you see? He's been through a lot! Can't you handle a little scare? He won't hurt you! He probably just frightening you. Just _try _and be sympathetic. If you tell that nonsense to the doctors they'd definitely lock him away. What's wrong with you? I thought you'd take responsibility of your _little brother' _He'd never listen to her until one day she just couldn't handle it anymore! Especially after he threw a fork at her in broad daylight, just when ojisan was dealing with a client in the room next door to top it. The fork caught her off-guard as she was washing the dishes with him sitting at the table behind her, and it passed through her hair just slightly away from her face. It drew blood when it nicked her. When she registered what happened, she saw the fork embedded in the wall in front of her. She turned around and saw _him_ openly glaring at her with that expressionless face her, hand still held in the throwing position. She told me his glare said that he had missed those less-than-few crucial inches on purpose. Only then did she move out!"

"More like ran away," said Ayami. Obviously not liking the for-mentioned actions of one Mouri Ran.

That raised the good friends defences and rage, as Kazuha glared at the inspector with venom as she asked. "What would _you_ have done?"

"Oh, don't worry. I know how to deal with spoiled brats. The matter isn't of what _I_ would've done, it's the fact that she didn't last a _week__,_ if I calculated the time lines correctly. Didn't I?" she looked at Heiji for confirmation which he had unconsciously nodded in agreement to.

Kazuha kept her glare, as Ayami looked at the boy that had hidden behind the Kuroba kid sometime in the middle of the girl's ranting.

"Now then," she addressed the boy. "What do you have to say about what you just did?"

The boy didn't budge.

She changed the question. "You wouldn't happen to know where the little cherry blond girl is, would you?"

A twitch was seen.

"Know where the little Satoshi boy went?"

No visible reaction.

"Why is Hakuba-kun asleep?"

A sprint was made.

The boy dashed for his life to the window after her last question, leaving them with no time to compose themselves for the sudden action. Kuroba, being the closest, ran after him, yet he wasn't in time to catch the boy from jumping outside.

Just when Kansuke and the rest reached the window, they looked down to find no one.

The boy was just gone.

Now there were three children missing, and one of them had the knowledge that they were looking for. Without knowing where any of them would be found, the group looked at one another, stunned at what just happened.

There was nothing to do but start the search all over again.

* * *

**An answer to **_meme_**: yes I am ^_^ you know just the one thousand and one nights stories XD – ….I wish! Now, that would be cool!:3_**

**And thanx for being the first to review ^_^**

**Of course how could I possibly forget you **_Godismetons _

**And thanks for all the alerts! **

**I had to go back to my review page and read from the beginning to get the feeling of the story being loved and kick my ass into more work on the chapter. So I hope that hints to you that I'm REALLY in need of some Reviews especially since it is **_LostInTheDreams_** that is practically suffering and swiping her sweats that come with the torture of trying to understand what I mean by this and that, and translate it into fathomable English understood by the public. You should really thank her guys – if any care that is- or else you would have to see more of my sucky writing . Now you wouldn't want that, would you? Because I'm thinking of giving her a rest from beta-ing the next chapter if I don't get 5 reviews or more. **_**I know I feel like I'm being an Asshole! I wanted to say that in the previous chapter, but then I deleted it since I felt like an asshole! This time, I won't!... I hope… **_**At least not less than 3, and no meme I won't count you more than once ^_^**

**Any less may put me in depression and cause a delay with the next chapter. Just for your information. I'm easily pleased with anything. A few words such as the normal/popular " Update soon" would rise my motivation. Even a "…" if you're that lazy. **

**If there's something annoying you in the story, maybe it's dragging? No action – though I'm doing my best here- ? Not what you had in mind?, you can just tell me and I'll try to fix it. It might actually inspire me since I don't have a full idea of what to do with the next chapter!**

**Of course as I said before, the more I feel that the story is still loved the more likely for faster updates and better chapters.**

**PS: If there is Anyone out there who likes the story and willing to make it better, I was hopping you'd help me with beta-ing/ fixing the previous chapters ( All before chapter 10, from there on **_LostInTheDreams_** started working) She's pretty busy and I'm grateful enough that she's helping with the recent chapters. Thanx Gal!XD **

**AND I'm looking for a new summary… I think this is the second chapter I say this. Anyone willing to suggest ANYTHING at ALL?**

**PLUS! Should I change the genre of this fanfiction? **

**REVIEW PLEASE**


	15. Chapter 15

From behind a corner of the mansion, Satoshi saw the adults running, scattering once they made it outside. He looked back at his battered companion before he glanced at the window above him.

After he made up his mind, he started climbing up the wall towards said window that lay on the second floor, leaving his companion hidden. Due to the mansions old architecture it wasn't a challenge to reach the windowsill. The challenge laid in getting his companion up.

"Wait here." Not like the other person could do anything but that. Satoshi opened the unlocked window and hauled himself in. But panic rose when he saw a figure on the bed out of the corner of his eye. He quickly looked up towards the said figure, only to relax after he realised it was Hakuba who was still asleep. Sighing in relief, he continued his way into the room and towards the other unoccupied bed.

He took off the bed-sheets and rolled them until they made a semi-sturdy rope. He then went back to the window and threw it towards the person waiting below. The person, still shivering, took the sheets in their quivering hands and held on tightly as Satoshi pulled from his end. It wasn't long until that person reached the top as well.

"Are you alright, Haibara-san?" Satoshi asked as he hauled the girl across the window.

Haibara only managed a small nod as she tried to fight off the cold.

The boy looked around again, in hope of anything that might come in handy. He noticed the luggage of the two teens that stayed in this room, and a small bag next to theirs. '_It must be Edogawa's'_ he thought.

"You're better off taking a bath. Would you rather have me get some clothes from my bag next door or will anything do…?"

He trailed off when he saw Haibara wobbling her way towards the small bag and liberally opened it as though it was her own.

"Oi,Oi! At least hesitate before you go through someone else's belongings…" Satoshi called out, feeling a bit uncomfortable.

"..." She just went through them until she came upon an outfit she liked, and picked it stood just as a knock came from the door.

Satoshi was quick to act as he grabbed Haibara's hand and dragged her quickly towards the bathroom. He closed the door cautiously just as the maid stepped in. The woman froze in the doorway.

"Hakuba-san, it's already sunset. Hakuba-san?"

But the sleeping detective didn't answer. He didn't even flinch as he continued with his sleep as though undisturbed.

The maid kept on trying for a while before she gave up and continued on with whatever job she was doing before.

Only after Satoshi made sure the maid was long gone did he have the courage to speak. "It seems like she's gone now."

"Oh is that so?" replied the cheeky voice, accompanied by the sound of water.

Surprised by the rushing water, he looked behind him only to find that the curtains where closed with the silhouette of the girl behind it, taking a shower.

'….. _there is something …off here, it feels like I should do something but I'm not sure what it is…' _ the little boy averted his eyes from the silhouette, his line of sight traveling to the wet clothes thrown carelessly to the ground. _'I wonder what it is I should be __d__oing…'_

"You better stay hidden in here with me, in case anyone comes." said the girl.

"Uhm" the boy answered with a nod he was sure the girl didn't see from behind the curtains. A few moments of silence went by before he started a conversation. "Ne, are you okay?"

"Uhm. Nothing beats a good bath, that's for sure."

"No I meant are you okay with the water, as in… It doesn't bother you to be soaked in water so soon after…."

"Look," Haibara snapped "Just because I almost drowned I'm not going to start having any hydrophobia… Though claustrophobia is... is another thing…"

"…. Anything I can do to get it better?"

"Keep my mind off of it."

"Alright, that should be easy... What happened?"

"Yeah, great way to keep my mind off of it. But that's okay." She inhaled air greedily preparing herself to continue with the subject. "Yet, a general question, could have all sort of answers."

"Okay, What happened _inside_ the... room or whatever it was? Did I make the question more specific?"

Haibara trailed off to silence as she thought the events in her head, trying to figure out for herself what had happened. In the end she ended up with nothing. "All I remember is being hit from behind before I blacked out."

"..." The boy stayed silent, waiting for the continuation. When a few seconds passed he guessed there is none. "That's it?"

Silence was his answer from the girl behind the curtains.

"Nothing else? Didn't you not wake up from then until I found you in that coffin, drowning?"

"I, I did wake up in between. Couldn't see anything nor move, due to the confined place inside the coffin, of course I didn't know it was a coffin then. That's all I remember, before I lost conscious again. The other time I woke up was when I was thrown into the water."

At that Satoshi shut up and started to think of another topic to start. After a while he started again. "Then what do you know of Edogawa Conan. You're friends, right?"

He didn't miss the sudden halt in Haibara movement to scrub herself at the mention of the name. "What I understood from Heiji-ojisan is that you two are close friends...?"

"… What do you want to know exactly?"

"I..I just want... Actually I could care less about your friend. Just opened a topic for your sake."

"Straight to the point, aren't you?"

"But seriously, is there anything I should know, such as how to deal with him. Any tips?"

"Edogawa is... let's say, he's just like an animal or more like a pet. Let's say a cat for example. You better not lie to his face or claws would be what you'd get. He knows when you lie to him, though he may let it go for some purpose but he's not fooled. Also, your thoughts better be clear when you approach him, especially when he's in a… not so peaceful mode."

"…" Satoshi waited for her to continue but when the silence grew he broke it. "That's it? Treat him like a pet?"

"_Approach _him like a pet. And nothing else that would interest you, or anything I would tell. Got any towels over at that cupboard?" She turned the shower off and cleaned up the tub as she waited for the towel.

Satoshi searched the cupboard for a towel or anything that would do. When he found one he quickly jumped off the sink he had to climb on and stretched his hand towards girl, waiting for her to take it. "Anything else?"

"hm… oh yeah I don't want to dirty the clothes. Just hand them to me one by one."

"Hai, hai" _N__o __'__would you__'__, __'__please__'__ or __'__thank you__'__. That's rude you know, Pft.._ He spotted the pile of neatly folded cloths, nevertheless stolen, on the closed lid of the sparkling clean toilet. "What first?"

"Underwear"

"Here" Satoshi went ahead and handed her the boxers.

All he received from the other side of the curtain was a pause and an extending hand as she retrieved the article. "You really are shameless."

"Huh?" And again that forbidding feeling of missing something returned.

"Never mind. The shirt."

And so on until the girl was all dressed up and climbing out of the tub. "Tell me, how old are you really?" the girl asked curiously.

"Hmm? I don't get your implication by _really__,_ but I'm ten. Why?"

"And you're a boy, right?"

"Of course! Do I have to give a proof of that?" The boy retorted, offended.

"…" She stared at him for a while then "You know I'm a girl, right?"

"…? Does it matter?"

_Sigh_ "I fear for your future, boy." she sighed again, patted his shoulder in consult before she dropped the topic all together, leaving the boy to wander what it all meant.

* * *

**/PAGEBREAKE/**

* * *

And yet again the moon had taken a blue hue.

He sat on the edge, more than a few too many dangerous meters off the ground with his legs dangling free in the air. The moonlight hid his face from the world. All he did was sit and stare unseeingly towards the moon - the curse, as he once called it. With dull blue eyes that seemed to take on a deeper colour than usual, he remains there, as still as a statue. He's uninterested in what's happening beneath him, uncaring of the endless shouts of his _'supposed' _name. Every time he hears it, he feels like crushing someone's skull. Every time he thinks of the reason he is being called, he feels regret for not shoving the scissors down her throat. Every time he remembers the face of his most dear niichan, the look of betrayal, confusion, welling hatred, a little of fear as well, tears well up and blur his vision, yet they stay unshed.

After all, he cannot cry. Not him. Maybe the_ little one_, but not him. It goes against his name. Not like anyone knows it anyway. One person, but no more than that, and that person can't help. Still, for some reason he can't seem to let himself break free of this name, though maybe once, just once he'd be able to. No one's looking! No one would know. It's only him and the moon.

_Ah, the moon_ he remembered. The moon was the reason he stayed true to his self-given name. After all, it's the moon who he doesn't want to show any emotions to. But it's hard. And yet, even though he's done such a good job in getting those water droplets out from his glands, they still don't fall! Not even enough to fall from his eyelid and trail down his cheek. All they manage to do is blur his vision a bit. He wondered why he couldn't. He went to the recesses of his memory and searched. When did it all start? When was the last time he shed a tear, and for what reason was it? Or was it that he never did? Was that even possible? He couldn't even remember if he had a name before he found one for himself. He couldn't say where he had gotten the words that formed his name now. And yet it still stands to say that it isn't really his name. A name is given to you. Anything else is just trash. If someone wasn't given a name then they'd stay nameless till the end of their most likely short life. After all, being nameless is just a bad omen for a short, semi-non-existent life. Isn't it? If they're not named, it's like the world didn't approve of their existent, therefore it did not bother wasting a precious name on someone who'd be leaving so soon.

Yet, there are new-borns dying not long after they come to this world. And they have names. Does that mean the world only leaves those that it despises so much without a name? _Does that mean I was hated from before my very existence__ was determined__?_

"Why is it I only ever see you close to tears, and yet you've never cried?"

Hatred spouted from him towards the world that would not let him leave it, yet didn't want him to remain.

…_Did someone talk?_

*Not even if the dead rose up and walked the earth would Conan have taken notice so it was no surprise that this new noise breaking into his world didn't register until it made itself known. (A/n: Incase it ain't clear. It's referring to this line: "Why is it I only ever see you close to tears, and yet you've never cried?")

The head of one Kuroba Kaito poked into his vision from underneath his feet. The teen remained dangling there, not yet lifting himself up the side of the building. He stayed in his position blinking up at the blue eyed kid.

"Why?"

Even after Conan acknowledged the boy, he stayed silent and only stared at the teen. After a while he said "What do you mean? I bet I cried once or twice in front of you before."

"No _you_ didn't and you know what I mean." After a moment of silence Kaito hauled himself up and sat right beside Conan, dangling his longer legs in the free air.

Conan had only followed him with his eyes. "_'you'_?' What? Now you think you're some sort of an expert at distinguishing us?"

"Why, of course!" He said, puffing his cheeks with a pout to boost. But then he deflated to a more serious look. "Well, I'd like to think I am. So…?"

The boy only stared at him, the quiet remaining before the child ignored him altogether and returned to his moon gazing.

"So what?"

"So, don't try and run away from the question! Why are _you _sad?"

The kid stared at him as though he had sprouted a second head "You're actually asking?"

"Well? It's not like _you're_ the one who did it. And you obviously wouldn't be sad for the girl, since you had no part in what happened to her. Then why are you sad?"

After Conan stared at him for a while, he released a sigh and said "I guess I'm just tired… I just want go home."

"Back to the office? Aren't you the one who made a scene of wanting to come here in the first place?" Kaito's eyebrow shot upward.

"Not _me. _Anyways, that wasn't what I meant. Not where at least… I just want to go _home_, eight years are more than enough. I'm just tired of this."

"…Where is home… To you I mean?" _Eight years…? Back to the mental notebook. Better keep tabs of this conversation as well._

A genuine smile graced the boy's features as he reminisced. "Somewhere no one lives. Somewhere far, Far, FAR away from those idiotic people. Somewhere where no one can reach. "

"Then how would you go back to it?"

Conan opened his eyes and stared off towards the moon and stayed silent.

Realising that no answer would come, he moved on to another question. "Then tell me, what do you remember of this place that you can't go back to?"

The boy closed his eyes again and answered the teen. "It's red. Left right, up and down was all red. No one was there, and I lived oblivious to the world. All that mattered was the eternal peace of mind. Sleeping was all I did, and I slept without any stress. It was always warm." His smile returned again, it's master unaware of it. "And I just floated there…"

Kaito thought over what the boy was telling him and remembered one very important fact about said boy. "You have photographic memory, right?"

The boy didn't answer as he stayed in his little world, not wanting to stop the nice memories.

Regardless of the boy's confirmation, Kaito thought he had already had enough experience with the boy's memory, and based his next question on it, even though it might be a little absorb. "Could it be you're remembering your mother's womb?"

Conan's eyes snapped open. Kaito couldn't do more than turn and see a fleeting glance of the child's expression before everything turned over on his head.

Conan stood up and he backhanded the teen.

The force threw Kaito across the ground, surprising him as everything went by in a blink of an eye. He didn't bother hiding his shock as he was shoved hard against the floor's cold surface. He braced himself on instinct, head bent forward and most of his body protected, though his back hit hard enough for the air to leave his lungs. The teen held his hand to his throbbing cheek, eyes wide open, trying to make sense of what had just happened.

When he managed to force his vision to focus on his companion, he was fully capable of seeing the rage in his eyes, the murderous aura above his head, and the unmatched hatred throughout his trembling body.

He didn't dare speak after that.

"_DON'T _ you EVER mention that lowly _**BITCH **_EVER Again! Why the _FUCK_ would I want to remember such misery? Let alone actually want to _FRICKIN__'__g_o BACK, huh?"

The kid locked onto Kaito by the collar, getting in on him closer to emphasize his point as he spat his hateful words.

"That annoying daughter of a bastard, that crazed BITCH, would never, And Never be a place of peace or a memory of secureness! I dreaded every moment spent near that slut, worrying about how to survive the day with my skin intact from her insane and LUNATIC ideas! It seemed like it was her joy to sadistically torture me and then turn to her whore of a boyfriend, excuse me BOYFREINDS, with all the drama and accuses _me_ of being the Demon!"

Eyes nearly glowing with darkness, the child continued, harsh breaths coming as his story only angered him further. "The Fuck? Is the demon the one who gets buried alive or the one doing the burring? And when I managed to stay alive she'd breakdown, telling those stupid humans around her that I was a monster - the _Devil itself! _All because she was too STUPID to be able to kill a child! All of this because she didn't like my eyes! HUH! The FUCKIN' slut fears _EYES! _ Everything started because of my eyes, and still I don't Get IT? So what? They're just eyes! You don't like them, pull them out!"

Conan paused, narrowing in on the teen before him, tightening his grip so that the boy had no where to look but at him. "She blames the fact that she can't get her hands on anyone because of me, Well DUH! Who the heck would like to have a relationship with a slut that has a child? There is a saying that goes 'If you can't stand the heat then stay away from the fire* (A/N or the kitchen however it is) Don't want children, then STOP FUCKING every single person out there! And she complains about how it was 'safe' and how 'careful' she was. Like HELL FUCKINGIS ever SAFE! And just when I did her a favour and left her to her own doing, she comes _stalking__ me__! _Saying I'm a_**CURSE**_**? **The FUCK?'_I have to kill you if I want to get rid of the curse YOU bestowed on me' _SHE SAYS! And _they _say I'M Insane? And no matter how many times she fails she still comes back for more! The BITCH obviously doesn't know when to quit! And not only does she target me, but then she drags other bystanders into the mess and she labels it under part of 'my curse' of ruining everyone's life around me, because she either kills them or makes their life hell, like mine! She says _**I**_ gave her a miserable life because no rich idiot would try to come anywhere near her UGLY face! And then whoever it is she manages to get her hands on dies due to some reason or another. I could care-less how those low lives die, but then, _again__, _she blames me for their deaths, even if I never meet some of them! Even if I've never heard their names! Now, Why the FUCK would I want to go back to that lowlife bitch, slut, whore of a human being?"

Conan exhaled and inhaled in another large breath of air as he continued, backing up slightly so he wasn't shouting in the magician's face.

"If it were up to me, I'd rather have her die a painful dirty, humiliating, slow death. I might even like to throw her in her grave before she dies, just to improve her sanity. I'd rather skin her alive, rip her apart, scatter her ashes, and burry her heart! Or I would mince her into a delicious dish and serve her on a plate made of bones of the thieves, season her with handpicked tongues and eyeball of murders. The sauce made of the blended guts of the savages and cannibals!

An evil grin came across the child's face as he pictured it all. "The guests that she would be served to should be the rich and handsome she always ran after!"

Kaito hadn't said a word, but his expression peeked the child's interest. "Oh come on don't like at me like that! I'd be doing her a favour; after all she always wanted them to have a 'bite' from her. And then, I'd have her come back to life just do it all over again! And the cycle would continue, until I get bored of it, that is!"

The insane smile reached his - just as insanely murderous - deep blue eyes. Kaito was having trouble keeping up with the child. He was torn between feeling sorry to whatever he had obviously went through and sending him to the nearest asylum.

Conan, and this was Kaito's first time realizing it, was very sadistic. And those evil thoughts and plans that he hadn't thought anyone capable of saying with such conviction, were freaking Kaito out. Now he understood Kazuha's and Ran's fear, though it wasn't helping him defend the boy anymore.

The horror must have been crystal clear on the teen's face, for as Conan was greedily inhaling in much needed air to calm dawn the anxious trembling of his body, his lunatic "Rape face" faltered. His eyes looked all over Kaito's expression and then worry took over the little boy's eyes. The smile dropped as guilt and self-loathing were clear on his face. His grip on the teen's collar lessened, weakened before it dropped all together, hesitantly and slowly at first.

Realization of what he had done and said took over. More than what it was he said, it was _who_ he said it to. And as horror-struck as a little child caught with his hand in a cookie jar, he stuttered "I… I..."

Then Kaito remembered why he bothered caring about this little guy to begin with. True, he is unpredictable, sadistic, and a 'little' crazy. but the boy had also this side of him. The side that tries his best to be seen as the pristine kid in front of those he loved, even though he knew he was nothing of sort.

Fear was put aside, Kaito stared at the little flustered boy in front of him, watching as the boy was still trying fruitlessly to come up with some excuse for everything, his face flushed red. Worry, guilt, hopelessness, self-loathing and many more emotions were clear on the boy's face. Kaito's expression softened and a genuine smile found itself on the magician's face.

With the moonlight reflecting somewhere behind Kaito, Conan stopped to gape at the older boy.

A whispered word escaped his opened mouth

"Angel"

* * *

**I am soooooooooooo ! I know I semi-promised a sooner, longer, better chapter. But it turned out everything but that. I'm really sorry T^T**

**My excuses:**

**-Had exams for almost a month and a half now ( how is that when we barely studied that same amount of time. Don't ask me)**

**-Writer's Block**

-**a Sucky plot at the beginning had to scratch and redo it all over again.**

**Next I want to say**

**Thanx for everyone, espically those who reviewed ^^ and that includes: the always faithful meme( Oh and I totally know what you mean, I still get it. Even though I shove it in their face and keep my pride up with being a DC fan, their face expression are always hilarious when I tell them the number of episodes it had reached), the good ol' friend godismetons, and Firepaw, SoulAi2, Unknown, Chelseaj500, Mareliini, Aizawa Li Syaoran Vessalius, CherryBlossom01 Thanx guys! Really appreciate it. I asked for five got nine instead! Really thank you.**

**This pic is dedicated to all you guys and it's a sorry for not staying true to my words. I hope I'll do better with the next one and I'll try to never EVER promise anything again as it seems they never work when I do. alicin(dot)deviantart(dot)com/#/d3heukc . I hope you guys like it, and Ofcourse roam the gallery for as long as you want! And really Love it! Esp if left a comment. Again thankies!**

**BTW, if it wasn't for **_**LostInTheDreams **_**amazing beta skills you would probably not have made head of tails from this one. **

**Say~ I won't be greedy if I asked for at least 7 reviews? No threats or bribes. Because I know even if I bribe with better, longer, sooner chapter no one will believe me ( I won't believe myself) and personally I don't like to give promises I saw for myself I may not keep.**

**Something totally off topic: Brother is coming Tomorrow~~ Yay~~**

**Should i change the rating from T to M?  
**


	16. Chapter 16

_Say, did you ever meet Death?_

XxX

Haibara and Satoshi snuck up to the east side of the mansion where the still locked door lay, but due to their need to cross the adjoining stairs, Satoshi was restless. The adults, whoever they didn't already pass and weren't in the garden, were scattered around on the ground floor- and crossing the stairs would be a risk. While he was worried, it didn't seem like the mature girl bothered with taking any extra precautions in not being seen. It made Satoshi wonder, _for who's sake did they hide in the first place_?

To top it off, Yui and Ayami were right there near the foot of the stairs and in plain view of where the stairs branched off, making the crossing just that much harder.

"Oi, oi! What was the point in hiding if you just barge in on them? Don't forget that whoever tried to drown you might be one of them." Satoshi tried to talk some sense to the girl walking, with all the confidence in the world, towards what he feared was her doom.

The girl answered without faltering - not even glancing over her shoulder - with that smugness still splattered all around her as she spoke. "Oh, stop being such a pussy! I thought you had more guts than that."

That angered the boy as he replied "Oi Oi! Who's safety do you think I'm worried about?"

"Why, thank you, but I'd rather appreciate it if you'd just let me do as I like. I know how to get to the idiot-of-a-psychopath, if you'd just shut up."

"idiot? Why?"

"Because this whole mess goes back to him, Duh!"

At that, Satoshi ran out of all the patience he had and, considering he _is_ a patient person, that says something. He latched onto her arm and locked it in a vice grip. "Hold up right there. Explain."

A vein was evident on the girl's forehead, annoyed by the persistence of the boy's questioning and demand of answers. "I thought you didn't give a damn about anything."

"Not when I'm obviously involved. And I wouldn't want all my hard work at saving you going to naught. Now what do you mean by this mess and Edogawa-kun? What's the connection?"

"I'm surprised you even understood who I meant by it, considering I didn't mention any names." She gave him a smirk, her eyes half-lidded.

Satoshi pinned her with a demanding glare and tapped his foot impatiently.

_Sigh_, "I meant his involvement in this mess, this case all together. What else could I mean?"

"But that doesn't explain the connection between it and Edogawa-kun. The case started long before Conan-kun or any of us came! It's almost a year since it began. Edogawa can't be the reason behind it. Plus, he was still sane back then, right?"

"Pft, sane? Ha! This little pest was SANE? HAHAHAHA!" Haibara was carelessly laughing, forgetting all about where she was. Immediately, Satoshi covered her mouth with his hand and hushed her.

It didn't take her long to calm down and swat Satoshi's hand away. As for the boy, he was too busy making sure no one took notice of it. He stood there awkwardly but no one bothered to do more than glance their way and then continue with their business.

He didn't let her go until a few seconds passed and he was sure no one would move towards them. And when he did let her go, he did it slowly as he double-checked that she was calm.

_Sigh,_ He pondered whether he should question her about it or to go back to his previous question. He thought it was for the best to continue without asking her the reason, but once his curiosity was sparked, it never went away. So he did ask anyway, without further hesitation. After all, he didn't do well with hesitation either.

"What's with that reaction?"

" We should be on our way now." Haibara ignored the query and crept her way towards the East wing.

"Do you want me to figure it out on my own?" Satoshi wasn't about to let the topic close that easily. So he continued the conversation with hushed whispers as he followed her and kept his attention on not getting caught by the adults.

"…" she gave him the silent treatment as she dashed the platform exposed with no railing to hide behind. Everyone else's attention was averted, so he didn't think they were seen.

"Ok, fine. I'll do just that." He said before he also dashed across that section before anyone felt like turning their heads.

"Well then," he continued when they were both safely across. "Your laughing to my earlier statement suggests that there were signs of Edogawa-kun's unstable state of mind from before the kidnapping. Correct?"

"…" Haibara ignored the boy and treaded the stairs up-wards, towards the huge closed doors.

"You had been in contact with the 'other' Conan. I'm willing to bet on it."

"_Other_?Kid, what do you know about that boy? You've barely seen him. How could someone like you be able to tell that there is more than one?" The girl snapped quickly after hearing the boy talk as if he were a psychiatrist or something. It bewildered her how the boy could conclude so much from her hysteric laugh and from watching the insane boy for less than two days.

"Barely? Will, maybe but I've been hearing Hattori talk about him and every single thing he has done ever since he came back from Tokyo. And plus, it's all written in the boy's Aura. All you need is a little glance and you could read it all." The boy said with an air of proficiency.

"Aura? The heck?" Indeed Haibara was absolutely confused.

" Should I continue? With the way you laughed at me as though thinking I have no idea what I'm talking about, I'd say he's been giving you, especially you for some reason, trouble before anyone even noticed any awkwardness in his behaviour. Maybe in private he'd show his not-so-usual side?"

" You totally brushed away my question." The girl deadpanned as she, herself, ignored all the dead-point conclusion he was making.

"A moody kid by the looks of it. He wouldn't forgive Heiji-niichan for the long disappearance when I saw him face-to-face for the first time. He also was clinging to the other older boys he came with, and then he slept with the blond rather than Heiji whom he regarded as a big brother."

"Fine, I'll play along. Where did the '_other'_ theory come from?"

"Simple. His aura is contradicting itself." He said with a smug tone that he's been using throughout his 'explanation'.

"Again with the aura talk. Would you mind explaining it?" She was starting to get irritated.

" Though that doesn't explain how the boy has anything to do with the case." Satoshi ignored her again.

"I feel as though the game has turned on me" she said in refrence to the change in power. "And let me rephrase it. What's _inside_ Conan is the cause for all this mess. That's why I want to find him and talk some sense into him… What?"

Haibara was creeped out by the look of amusement on Satoshi's face.

"You mean, ghosts?" His eyes were sparkling and twinkling as though he was just given an entertaining game.

"What's with that expression? Don't tell me you are actually intrested in these things?"

" Of course! Anything not clarified by science is very interesting. Don't you think it's amusing to assume that there is something out there that _cannot _be explained by people? Isn't it just amazing? I mean, look at all the possibility that exist out there then!" the boy exclaimed as he too stood in front of the door 'chatting'.

" For some reason, that totally defied the image I had of you."

" I mean, sure I'd love to be part of some paranormal story, but I won't go looking for it. After all, I believe if you put your nose in what you aren't even a part of to begin with, it will only backfire at you. But, if we're doing it to return someone stolen, then why not? We are totally justified."

"'Doing it'? 'Justified'? Again, what the heck?"

"Speaking of which. How do you plan to exorcist it? Personally, I'd rather you don't resort to such violent means but if that is the only thing you know how to do, then I'll help you out."

" ' Exorcist' ? Whoa, whoa! Hold your horses, boy! I have no idea what you are talking about. All I was planning to so was find the boy, talk to him, and let him handle the Spirit- uh ghost, or whatever it is."

"…" Satoshi was stunned at the lack of action in the plan and all traces of excitement he had before were completely gone in mere seconds. " Well now, that's…boring. I wonder why I left my PSP in the room."

"You are unbelievable. People are actually getting injured, or at least, they have a high chance of getting injured, and all you care for is some entertainment? You think this whole thing is a joke?" Haibara was beyond angry.

" No, I think it's worth nothing if it isn't a game." The eight-year-old said dead serious.

That rendered Haibara speechless, and, as she didn't know how to reply to that, she simply said. "Whatever. Let's get there first."

" Well, since we've been caught up in our conversation earlier I forgot to ask you. What exactly are you doing here? The door is sealed shut and the adults couldn't shake it from it's place. You think you can?" The boy asked sceptically.

"No, I don't think I can shake it from its place. I think I can find something that is our height and could help us get to the other side." She hovered her hands all around the door in places within her height range and lower, and finally she pushed through a small door that was on the lower left side of the big gate-like door, within the bigger door itself. "See?" she said triumphantly.

Satoshi didn't offer her any remarks or reply, and just quietly followed her through the door and into the unknown.

XxX

_I did. Multiple times. We're friends now, yet I'm not sure how I feel about it._

XxX

The blond teen opened yet another door. Looking inside, he found nothing but emptiness, a black abyss that he never dared to step into. He'd open it, visually search it without taking a step in, and then close the door to search another room.

He walked to the next door and repeated the routine.

Again

And again

And again

He'd gone over all the rooms that were assigned to the guests such as himself and the Osakan teen's group. He continued until he reached the Master and Mistress's bedroom. Though he knew what he'd see, he opened the door again in hope of a different result.

And just like all the other times he's opened this door throughout the day, he saw the same scene playing over again.

A little girl he hadn't seen before this day, with features reminding him of Conan Edogawa, was tossed to the wall. The force of the sound suggested that her spine snapped, yet he didn't know for sure. He couldn't. For the girl soon disappears, and the person responsible for it is nowhere to be seen. Flames light the room, and yet nothing is burned.

Deeming the guest rooms as useless, he re-checks the family's rooms. Even though he knows what to expect, he enters the room.

Starting with the older brother's, the images there are nothing but happy. The young rock-star plays with the Conan look-alike girl. The girl seemed happy and nothing seemed to be wrong, until suddenly the scene changes and she's standing alone in the middle of the room, seemingly lost. A Figure comes from the door's side –where Hakuba was standing watching- towards her. He couldn't even distinguish whether the figure was a woman or a man. The Figure dashes towards the young girl, alarming her at his sudden entrance, grabs by the neck, and fast-paced marched back out of the room with her. After that, the void takes over and, even if he wanted to see more, he can't.

Hakuba closed the older boy's door and went to its neighbor, the young twins'. There, the scene that greets him is different than the one before it. The young blonde twins sit alone without giving the little girl any attention. But even then, the girl doesn't seem to mind. She just sat alone, under the window, watching the two siblings play together. The scene changes to a one where she is sleeping on the floor and no one around her. She wakes up, startled, and looks around her a bit confused, as though she's searching for someone, anyone. She looks out the window and hurriedly leaves the room.

After that, the room turns a swirl of black like all the other rooms. Hakuba closed the door.

At the fourth room – the Aunt's bedroom- the scene that flows by doesn't make sense. For all there is, is a dark, indescriptive person moving from one side of the room to another, going in circles, and making awkward gestures. Then the figure would pass him as it leaves the room with determination in it's steps.

Hakuba got tired. He knew what the rest rooms had in store, and therefore he gave up on them and whatever insanity lay inside of them, making his way towards the BIG, gate-like, barred door. This door is the one he remembered used to be open throughout all day yesterday, the one that led to the staircase. But for some reason it's been closed today, long before he even had a chance to wake up. His gut told him that the gate was the only way out of this nonsense. And so he went over to it. He checked the gate again and again, hoping that this time he'd figure out how to open it- that this time he'd be able to get out of the interior of the mansion. But, yet again, he found nothing could budge it. Dejectedly he slammed his back against the gate and slid down to the foot of it. Relaxing his arms on his bent knees, he let out a heavy sigh.

After spending the whole day wondering around, trying to find an exit, trying to find someone, anyone. Desperation finally got to him. He felt the taste of fear. Fear of not getting out, fear of being alone, fear of staying in a strange, unknown place.

And just then, just when something started to eat away at his vision until all he saw was black, they came.

Two kids entered from right beside him, where he leaned on the gate. They came through a small opened door that was within the door. It was just big enough for the kids, and even they had to bend down to not hit their heads.

Too shocked, to be able to utter any words, Hakuba just stared, eyes and mouth wide open. It took the two some time to notice the British boy beside them.

When they stepped in completely, they let the door close behind them as they stared blankly at the blond teen. He took them by surprise twice as he hurriedly crawled towards the closed door and tried to push it open, then pull it, but it didn't budge. Nothing he did made that small door even rattle on it's hinges. In fact, after it had completely fallen into place in the frame, it started becoming one with the bigger gate until most of it couldn't be distinguished anymore.

After moments of staring at what was left of the small door - nothing but an outline remaining - with the look of despair, the blond teen heard Satoshi speak.

"Ah! It's Sleeping Beauty!" the boy yelled as he pointed his finger towards Hakuba's face.

"A little slow, don't you think?" The girl beside him crossed her arms over her chest as she spoke in a matter of fact tone

Hakuba finally managed to break out of his stupor and he slammed his hand on were the small door had opened minutes before, and he demanded, "Open it!"

At that, the cherry-blond haired girl went over to his side. She patted the wooden gate in front of her in search for the said door, but she couldn't find it. "That's how it is" she said in her apathetic tone, looking straight to the teen's eyes.

"Eh? But we just came through it!" Satoshi pointed out the obvious to the girl.

"And I'm sure I'm not an idiot. I already know that, but it doesn't seem as though it can be opened from this side. Does it look like it can be opened anymore? If you doubt me, try for yourself."

"No need. Hmm, in that case… Could it be that this is a spiritual place?" The excitement seemed to climb in the eyes of the kid.

With a sigh, Hakuba finally found it in himself to give up on the search for freedom and became rather curios at what he was hearing from the boy.

"Spiritual?" He asked

"Well, seeing that you're here and we just left your room not to long ago where you were still sleeping, I have to say it was something like that or else, how could you be in two places at once? Say, how long have you been here?"

To Hakuba it seemed as though a detective,_ ironically_, was investigating _him_.

"I haven't found a clock or my watch, but I'd have to say around half a day already, if not more."

"See," Satoshi continued with the arrogance of a detective, directing his words at the girl. "Since Hakuba is here while his body is on the other side were we left him, that proves that I'm right. But what I'd rather know is, are _we_ here?"

"What do you mean? Of course we are here!" The girl asked, skeptical to the boy's intelligence.

"What I meant was, are our _bodies_ here? Or did our spirits leave our bodies at the door?" Satoshi explained to her as one would do to a child much younger than himself.

"…?" Hakuba was absolutely lost. All he understood of this incomplete conversation was that he is seemingly asleep in his room since yesterday, yet he is was also here… Yep, definitely lost. It seems this kid thought this case is some sort of a paranormal activity. Where his soul has left his body...

…his soul has left his body…

…Soul left body…

"I am… dead?"

"Huh?" the two kids answered in unison.

For poor Hakuba, that seemed that seemed the only conclusion to where this conversation was leading.

"Why do they always assume that?" the Osakan child remarked

"They?" The other child asked.

"So what? You're saying I'm not?"

"No, you are not dead. Rest assured of that for the time being. Cases like these are heard off all the time- an out of body experience. Of course, you've heard of it, too, haven't you?"

_Oi, oi you totally ignored me!_ A twitch made itself apparent on the girl's forehead.

"Yeah, but never believed in them," Hakuba answered uncertainly.

"Well, this should help you now. Hard to deny what's in front of your face. God! Do you detectives not believe in anything unless it can be proved in numbers and figures! Don't you have an ounce of belief in the supernatural? In fact, the supernatural term here is just exaggerating it. These things are _totally_ natural, it's just can't be explained with science, that's all! Just because it can't be done with science doesn't mean it can't exist! It just proves that there is much more to life and this world than what is written in books! Seriously, how do you people live your lives? You should have an open mind, especially for being a detective, and absorb your surroundings! You won't know what may be the key to unlocking an adventure! Waah, just thinking about this house makes my heart beat faster! I'm so glad I came!" As he was talking, Satoshi was flailing his hands around excitedly, already lost in his own world leaving the other two confused.

"Why is he angry? Or at least, I think he _was_ supposed to be angry, and then… he went… hyper?" Hakuba asked the girl.

"I… honestly don't know. I'm just as lost as you are. What?"

Hakuba just stared at the girl's face blankly as he realized something. "Who are you?"

A sweat drop slid down the girl's forehead as she stared blankly right back at him.

"Are all you detective-wannabe so slow?" She harshly remarked.

Hakuba, offended, urged her to just introduce herself.

"Haibara Ai, an acquaintance of the enigma that got you in this mess." Haibara blandly answered.

"His best friend, just too shy to admit it." Satoshi jumped into the conversation after getting out of his la-la world.

"Best friend? Engima? You mean… Conan?"

They shook their head positive. "So… how well do you know him?"

"It doesn't concern you." She retorted. "Though, do tell, did you by any chance find any staircase? Going _upwards,_ I mean?"

"Ah, you're talking about the third floor, aren't you?"

"I see everyone is thinking along the same lines! No wonder, after all you _are_ a detective." Satoshi interrupted them again, as he felt left out.

"I could careless about any third floor! I just want a way up, to the rooftop. Do you know one?" Hakuba and Satoshi shut their mouth due to the anger the girl conveyed in her tone.

_Gulp_ "I'd understand it if you were interested in the seemingly non-existent third floor, but why the rooftop?" Then he hurriedly added. "And what did you mean when you said Conan got me- us, in this mess?"

"It seems that that idiot had gone and hid himself somewhere, and I'm searching for him. As for your second question, if we find him you'll know what I mean."

"Okay, I get why you are searching for him, but why the rooftop?" The girl stayed quiet a little while as she carefully planned her answer.

"Call it a hunch. I think he's there."

"Call it logic, I _know _he is there." Satoshi added right after her.

"And again I never did get your logic. Won't you explain it?" The girl now seemed much more interested in what Satoshi had to say.

"So do you know of any way up?"

"Oi, oi! You're ignoring me again!" Haibara couldn't hold it any more and made her fury obvious to all for them by throwing her arms down and glaring at Satoshi. But even then, the boy didn't give her heed, and Hakuba didn't know whether to answer the boy or calm the girl.

In the end, he answered the boy who was staring intently as him. "Uhm, no. No, I didn't find any stairs here." He spoke to Satoshi, though he kept his eyes on the girl in case she thought of getting physical. Well, he doubted it'd hurt, but it'd be troublesome. "But, if we are having such trouble finding anything going up, won't he have trouble too? Isn't the possibility of him hiding somewhere inside the mansion or in the forest much higher?"

"Oh, I'm sure he'd somehow manged to find a way. After all, he's an expert in climbing the un-climbable!"

"What about these doors?" Satoshi ran towards the nearest one. "Of course you investigated them while you were stuck here, right?"

"I did, but… they're weird. It's as though you're watching a movie." This caught Satoshi's interest.

And for the next half-an-hour, if not more, Hakuba told them what he saw inside all those doors, the little girl included.

Just when he finished talking, Satoshi stood up, excitement printed all over his face. "Oooh! I can feel it! That girl is definitely our ghost!"

"Ghost?" Hakuba looked at Haibara, confused. She sighed in reply and shook her head negatively.

"All we have to do is combine this puzzle's pieces and find out her story! I bet if we went to places with some of her memories, then we'll get to know more of her story! Uhm! That's definitely it!" the boy couldn't- no. More like didn't bother hiding his anxiety. "So, as it is, what are you two still doing there? Come on and search for more memory fragments!"

"No!"

"…" The sheer force in Haibara's voice got Satoshi to freeze in his place. It also startled Hakuba to jump from where he was next to her.

"Why not?" Satoshi broke the silence that had been built, pouting like the little child he was.

"Because that is not what I came here for. All I want is to find Conan. That's it. I won't be sidetracked by anything either. That will only take time, and time we're not sure we can safely assume we have. You wanted to help me find Conan then you should only, and I repeat _only_, search for him and nothing else." She firmly replied him.

"B... but! If we know why the ghost is still lurking around, it'll make dealing with it, and even driving it out of Edogawa that much easier! Don't you agree Hakuba-niichan?"

"Don't include me in your quarrel, and plus, I don't believe in ghosts and the like, neither do I know what the heck you two are talking about to begin with. Leave me out of it."

"Che! Useless. What I'm say-"

"Stop! Enough! I don't wanna hear you talk anymore! You don't have to worry about the ghost or anything meaningless like that! _HE _ has to be under my watch at all times! It's already been more than two days! I _have_ to find him! Got it?" She desperately pointed out.

"What I don't get is your fixation on finding him! From what I can conclude, he doesn't seem to be in any immediate danger. It's more like those around him that are in danger. Just before we came here, while you were resting, I heard the maids gossiping, and it seems that he had attacked Kazuha-neechan! And she just _barely _made it out." He took a breath and calmed down a bit. "But even then, she ended up bruised and scarred. Is that why you want to find him? You think it's the ghost doing?"

"Pft! I assure you that, most likely, had _nothing_ to do with the ghost." She had a mysterious, knowing smirk on her face.

As for poor Hakuba, he sat there in between the two, not able of making heads of tails of what was going on. As a detective, he naturally tried to figure it out, but nonsense theories were the only thing he was able to come up with.

"Then what? Continuing from the conversation we were having at front of the door, it seems he's been acting out even before anyone realized it. Is that what you are trying to say?"

" I AM NOT TRYING TO SAY ANYTHING HERE! Why can't you get this through your thick head? Some things are better left unknown. Don't you get it?"

"More like I don't want to. We both know I'm not letting this conversation drop, so don't even try."

"Fine, then would you be so _kind_ as to answer me this question-"

"You are trying to change the subject"

" -Who the hell are you?" She blatantly pointed an accusing finger at Satoshi, which didn't deter the guy, as he kept his glare straight at her.

"You're changing the subject!"

"No, not really. We're on the topic of that creep, right? Then I'm not changing it. After all what I really want to know is how you managed to know so much about him. You obviously have some prior knowledge of his personality and such, even though from what I understood, your first meeting should have been when he first came here. Will you deny that?"

"There's nothing to deny there."

"Then, what? You, you're… I dunno eigh-nine years old, max? You're not gonna tell me you found out about it all by your own deductions, are you?"

"What's so surprising in being able to profile someone? Even for someone my age? I just happen to really like humans. I love dissecting the way they think, the way they react to their surroundings, and to try and make sense of it all is my pleasure. Is there something peculiar about it? I find it a much more entertaining game to try and figure out what's on people's mind than some game of hide-and-seek or any other stupid things all the other kids play. Do you find that so weird?"

"Yes. That's not very normal of a child, you know."

"You're one to talk! Half a day is more than enough for me to at least tell that you're a weirdo too."

"At the very least I'm a weirdo with friends, what about you? I betchya you don't have _one_. People you just follow around excluded."

"If I want to, I could!"

"Oh really?"

"Yeah, really!"

"STOP!"

By then the conversation was going nowhere, and it didn't need a genius to know the probability of it concluding in a physical fight was quite high. Even after Hakuba had gone through the trouble of stopping them, neither of the children paid him any attention.

All the two did was glare some more at each other. A few minutes passed and it seemed like they got tired of just staring holes in each other's head. Haibara turned her back to Satoshi and briskly marched to her original seat, next to Hakuba, where she sat down, pointedly looking at anything but the boy.

Tired from the fight, Haibara closed her eyes as she leaned backwards and raised her head in an attempt at relaxation. She let out a heavy sigh, slowly opening her eyes, seeing nothing but the ceiling... but then there was something odd about it. She straightened up a bit, tilted her head to the side and squinted her eyes.

The flat ceiling had a pattern that went around in a rectangle that looked like hinges, which didn't make sense. She kept staring at it for a little while longer.

"What?" Hakuba noticed her sudden stillness.

"…" Haibara ignored, or more likely did not notice him talking to her as she kept her gaze locked on something that he couldn't see. And then suddenly, something came to her mind, like a light bulb turning on. With the snap of her finger and an " Ah!" from her mouth, her eyes wide open, the reaction drew the attention of the males around her.

"What?" Both boys asked in unison.

"That." She pointed at the ceiling where her eyes never left.

"…" They both looked up to where she pointed, and they, too, took a while to comprehend it. But when they did, they were struck with yet another kind of silence, one that had no words to fill it, even if they could speak.

After the shock had worn off a bit, which took a while too, they all looked at the ground with ashamed faces. When they raised their heads again to look at each other, the look of mortification didn't leave their expressions.

"… So… Okay then, we were, are,a bunch of stupid _idiots!_ But what does that make the owners of this house? Mules?" Haibara, forever with her harsh tongue, said.

"W…Wait! Just because it's here, that doesn't necessarily mean it was there, wherever we came from, right?" Satoshi, quick to defend his intelligence, helplessly asked Hakuba for support.

_*Sigh~* "_Considering I didn't even notice this was some other... warp in reality since I woke up, I doubt it there are many differences between the two. This place seems as though it was built in perfect symmetry to the other." Hakuba answered, looking dejected.

"What I'm surprised at is how you didn't notice you woke up somewhere else. I mean, the place is a perfect mirror to where you were before you slept. Didn't you realize that everything was on the wrong side when you woke up?"

The teen stared at Haibara before he heaved another sigh.

"No, not really. To me everything looks like it's in its right place, even now. I'm not sure, but maybe that's the effect of waking up here. I didn't come in willingly. Or, maybe it's something else. I could honestly careless right now. I'm just way too tired to think."

"Hmm, that's what they call mental exhaustion, right?" Satoshi pointed his question at Haibara, curiosity beginning to take over his face.

"How would I know?"

"Anyways, should we try and open it?" Hakuba looked tiredly back up towards the ceiling.

"We should find something tall first, so that we can reach it." Satoshi made his way towards closest door which served as a utility closet.

"Hm, I didn't notice that there before. Funny…" If Haibara heard the older boy, she didn't bother commenting.

"Here we go! I found one. This broom here is nice and long. It should do the trick." Satoshi threw it to the teen.

Getting to his feet and catching it, Hakuba went under that part of the ceiling they had noticed as the other two cleared the way. He had to stretch a bit until he was able to reach high enough to push away the latch.

And as the three expected, it was as simple as that.

It was a door in the ceiling that lead to the attic! How could things be any simpler?

Each cursed their own stupidity as they stared at the stairs sliding down smoothly, without as much a squeak or a slip too unusual.

"…Tell me now... I can't seem to understand how the possibility had slipped our minds completely," mumbled Hakuba to himself, yet he was heard nevertheless.

"It may be the overall theme of the mansion that threw us. Everything so eccentric that such a simple thing as a trap door seems out of place."

"Anyways," Cut in Haibara. "Let's go up and see what other troublesome things await us"

"Roger"

"Hai"

And so, the ice queen, as she was once dubbed, took the lead upwards.

**XxX**

_It's not like I wanted it. But, things happen. And that, too, just happened._

**XxX***

One by one they all managed to get up, Hakuba careful not to accidently bump his head, since he didn't how low the ceiling was and their only light source was the still open trap door.

"Oh great, now what? The place is pitch black!" complained Satoshi.

On cue, Haibara pressed something on her wristwatch, a beam of light cutting through the darkness. "It definitely is useful." She said as she appraised it.

"Cool! Did that old man do it? From what I understood, he is a inventor of some sort?"

"Yep, now forget about that and let's see what's here."

"Wait, before we go! If it could be avoided, I'd rather not hit my head." Hakuba quickly stated.

Haibara hovered her light over everything, giving the two behind her enough time to memorize the layout.

"Wooh! These things are practically antique garbage!" Satoshi said as he excitedly looked over an old, cracked dresser that was discarded nearby.

"How does antique and garbage work together in the same sentence?" Haibara skeptically asked. "Anyways, there's a window over there. Let's check it."

"So this the secret behind the third floor! It's a big attic. No wonder we didn't think of it!" Hakuba pointed out as he stared above him at how far up the ceiling was, following the cherry-blond haired girl.

The three stumbled upon littered objects here and there until they finally made it to circled window.

"How is it? Easy to open?" Satoshi watched as Haibara gave it a once over.

"Lets see." she tugged at the lock and pushed slightly against the glass as to make sure it didn't break under pressure. "This is just too easy. It's making me suspicions."

Not only was the glass easily opened, but due to the mansion's structure, the wall outside seemed to be easy to climb to the roof.

"Wait." Satoshi stopped Haibara for climbing out the window. "Agility wise, I think I'm better than you, and considering I'm small, it would be safer than Hakuba-niichan. Let me climb up first, just in case it's not safe."

Without anyone arguing against him, Satoshi made his way up the high, yet heavily decorated with sculptures and the like, building with utmost ease. Just shy from reaching the roof's edge, he rested at one of them many outcroppings. "I guess there isn't anything to worry about!" He shouted to the two still waiting below.

"You're not exceptionally good at this, right? I'll be behind you incase you slip." Hakuba spoke, motioning to Haibara to go ahead before him.

She did as she was told and started climbing. Whenever she seemed lost as to where to put her foot next, Hakuba or Satoshi would be quick to guide her. It went on like this until she managed to reach the top, Hakuba right behind her.

When the two passed him, Satoshi left his resting spot and continued what little climb was little left. When he did reach the top, he saw Haibara and Hakuba staring at a distance without a word. He followed her gaze and found what she was looking at.

Kuroba Kaito was looking back at them with a soft smile and a whispered "_Shhe" _carried by the wind that reached them as he moved his index finger from in front of his lips to point at something on his lap. There lay Edogawa Conan resting his head on the older teens's chest and deep in blissful sleep.

**XxX**

_She may have came to an end, but I'm still alive. I die countless of times, and yet I never truly seize to exist. What does that mean?_

_We look the same, same face and same eyes. Yet she died, she's dead. Why not me?_

_Am I not allowed to die?_

**XxX**

***If you think the break page over there is, awkward or not fitting just ignore it ^^; Cause I wasn't sure about it.**

**Say, what do you goes look for when you read this story?**

**As in what is it about the story that if you don't find it in a chapter you feel as though the chapter was a filler? Or not worth the wait.**

**For example, when I read a Kaishin, or HeiCon Sometimes I look forward to the Romance or Friendship depending on the story. If a Chapter passes by and there weren't any in it I feel abit disappointed and look forward to finding it in the next chapter. **

**So what is it you look forward in this chapter? So I know what I should concentrate on**.

**That was one thing I wanted to say. The other thing is. Well, actually it's a question. Did this chapter help solidigy any of your theories? Or maybe you drew a new one? Maybe deleted an old one you think it no longer fits? Did Satoshi and Haibara talk help these theories?**

**And Of course SORRY for the wait! I know I know I'm lazy, I'm whatever you want to say. But seriously thank you for liking the story and reading it! I'm extremely grateful to those of you who review all the time! THANK YOU!**

**Of course looking forward for more reviews ^^**

**And you might want to know this, sometimes reviews inspire an event or whole chapter. For example if you said something specific about the story and your theory of what's going on then sometimes these things inspire a certain event!...Got me? So in short, feel free to write what your conclusion are till now, even if you already did, I'll be happy to know what's changed and what's still the same :) **

**And have a fun day/night ^^**

**Oh and I hope the length is to your liking**


	17. Chapter 17

_Here's a little secret, about my deaths_

_I only feel pain_

_A sense of voidness_

_Emptiness_

_And I hate it_

**XxX**

"Kuroba?" came Hakuba's voice, bringing the magician teen back from dreamland.

"Shh~~ Don't wake him up"

Blinking back at him wasn't only Hakuba, but also the strawberry-blond girl and the Kansai child. The little girl's eyes were exactly on him though, but rather aimed at the boy in his arms.

"…"The girl gaped, unbelieving. _"Apathy…_ asleep?" she mumbled to herself, not meaning to be heard.

"… Is that something unusual?"But Kaito heard her anyways. _'Apathy?' _ He shrugged and filed the name for later.

"…"She ignored him as she tiptoed her way to the sleeping boy's side, her expression still that of a very amazed person.

"Say… Can you tell which is which when they are asleep?" the curiosity pushed him to ask even though he _knew _the answer, and he _knew_ that he wouldn't like to hear it.

"Of course! It's the privilege of being me." A sarcastic smirk played on her face.

Yep, he knew the answer, and yep, He didn't like hearing it aloud.

He didn't know why, but just being proved right made something in his heart hurt. After all, he knew, he _always _knew, that Haibara held a special position in the heart of the one who once used to be the saviour of the police, and his biggest rival. Be it Conan or Kudou, the little scientist was always special. What he didn't know was _what sort of place__ in his heart it is_. Was it a romantic interest, a special friend, or that of a trusted partner? Whatever it is, it is still special. And that's all what matters. '_For now,' _he though '_just ignore it'_

Trying to get his mind off of that useless musing, he stared at the other two. Only then did he notice Hakuba's state.

"Why transparent?"

"…" The sudden question left Hakuba, who was observing the sleeping boy by then, wondering whatever he meant by it.

"An out of body experience" Answered the Kansai child in his stead.

Being reminded of his predicament, a twitch formed at the overly carefree tone the little child used.

"Ho~ I see"

But Kaito's absolute disinterest and dull reaction caused him to hiss to himself in anger. "Don't you go believing so easily, UGHR!" with no one in particular to hear.

Regardless of Hakuba's inner demons working, a groggily voice caught his attention as it said "….so noisy…."

"Hey! See what you did Hakuba? You woke him up!" scolded the magician teen.

Unbelieving the fake accusation, Hakuba's mouth opened and closed, resembling a fish as he was unable to form any sort of defence.

"…And stop taking away my pillow!"

"…?" The confused little girl, whom the words was pointed at, was tempted to shrug it off as him sleep talking. "…Very weird.." she unconsciously said.

"Really? Does that mean I did something extremely unique?"

Taken yet again by surprise, the girl stared blankly at the beaming magician in front of her. Not sure what he meant, she found herself, nevertheless, nodding hesitantly to his question. As it was, that action seemed enough to have him flying through the sky from happiness, evident by the cheek-hurting smirk he had.

"What's wrong with you? Are you having a sugar rush or something of the like?" The Brit sceptically asked the hyper magician, his only answer was more giggling from the said teen.

"Never mind that! How did you get here?" Satoshi jumped in the conversation, feeling a bit forgotten.

"Why, I climbed, of course!"

At that Satoshi went over to where he sat on the edge of the roof and looked down at the distance the teen claimed he had climbed.

_-__Whistle__-_ "That's one hard way you used to get here. Did you start from the ground or second floor?"

"The veranda of the twin's room," Kaito stated, smile never wavering.

"Oh, I see. Smart…" After further inspection, he added, "and athletic. What are you, a gymnast?"

"Something of that sort…"

"Perfect marks in P.E. classes. I saw him attempt much more dangerous stunts. I wouldn't put it past him even if he said he climbed the wall from the ground level. " Hakuba felt the need to elaborate.

"Ho~ cool." And Satoshi went back to staring at the distance.

"So~ now that Conan is found, plus Kuroba to boot, can you self-possessed idiots find a solution to my predicament? Please~" Hakuba added the last part with a strained voice, obviously not happy with the lack of attention to solving his problem.

"You say it without believing we can! That won't help your situation!" the little paranormal expert scolded him.

"Well, you can't blame me! It's just **NOT **scientific! … or, at least, for as far as I know …"

"If you want to get out of it, you'll have to believe it is happening first!"

"! WAIT!" Haibara suddenly blurted out.

"What ?" All three gave her their full attention, pushing her to continue.

"How come we were able to climb the mansion, when the people of this house couldn't?"

The question dropped the smile off of Kaito's face and rendered them all speechless.

"…W…What do you mean?" The magician asked hesitantly.

"Well, you remember all those failed attempt the kids talked about as they tried to climb the walls? They all ended with failure and injuries, the higher they went the more serious their injuries were. But yet here we are, all _five _of us, with no injuries or anything of the like…" Haibara clarified.

"Ughm! What about ME?" the British teen reminded them of his predicament a little too forcefully.

"…." They all stared silently at him blankly before it downed on them. "Oh"

"UGHR! Don't 'Oh' me! I can't believe you'd forget so easily when we were just talking about it! _Sigh, _Ah, I feel so unimportant…" It worried him, though it was more because he didn't know what to think. If he were to believe this, he would only be more worried because he would have nothing to hold onto. At least, while he was in denial, he could pretend that something about this would make sense.

"Oops sorry…" Satoshi tried to lighten his mood. This, in return, gained him a glare, a very rare glare considering Hakuba's polite nature.

**XxX**

_An abyss comes into my view_

_An abyss of memories_

_Memories that I don't feel I relate to_

_Does that sound weird?_

**XxX**

" Where did these kids go to now!" a seething Kansai teen grumbled. "And not only that, but Kaito _just ha__s_ to disappeared as well, that idiot! Plus, the semi-comatose Hakuba that just _won't_ wake up! What more can happen next?"

The guy in need of sympathy was the poor Yamato standing near him in search of the messing group. He, himself, was on the verge of beating someone to a pulp but as the adult he was, he had to suck it up and bite his lower lip in self-restrain.

"Shit…!"

"Now WHAT?" he said, the poor guy reaching his limit.

Pointing at the crown of the mansion, the Kansai teen said, "Is that Kaito I see there?"

Yamato followed where he was pointing, only to see a figure, not that it would've been impossible to be a trick of the shadows considering how dark it has quickly became. "The Heck..! How did he even get up there?"

"He... No! he couldn't have actually _climbed_, right?"

Yamato quickly went to the best place, he thought, that would enable him to be heard. And when he reached, he shouted with all his might in hopes his vocals would make it there. "Oi! Can you hear me?"

Once wasn't enough, he had to shout a second and a third time, fortunately he got the attention of the figure. Not only that, but it seemed that there were more than just one person. Two other silhouettes made themselves visible by changing position. He suspected from the sizes that it was Kaito, and two of the missing kids.

"Are those the kids?" Heiji caught up to his line thoughts as well.

They had to strain their ears to hear the reply but they somehow managed with the wind carrying several voices to them. "Can you get us down?"

"But how do you suggest we do that?"

"You'd think we'd still be here if we knew?"

"Can't you get down the same way you went up?" Heiji's reply was, but he had to repeat it a couple of time before his words were at least partially understood.

"Not safe! Might have managed once but not twice!"

The Inspector suspected from the accent it was the Kansai child, Hattori's relative… or was it the teenage girl he brought along?

Yamato started searching his mind for an answer, but his thoughts kept on telling him their answer on how they got up would help in coming up with a way to get them down. "Just answer!"

"… climbed…!" they were able to hear. Yamato thought on that. Satoshi was right, climbing down on their own is risky, maybe even riskier than climbing up The best the officer was able to come with was to help make it safer for them to descend from their current position. And to do that, he'll need the help of other's, many of them maybe. But something, a hunch, told him to not let just anyone into knowing were the kids were, he wasn't sure why though.

"Wait!…" Satoshi stopped the Inspector in his tracks "If possible, keep the number of people you tell our place to, to a minimum!"

It seemed as though he wasn't alone in his line of thinking.

But, yet again, Yamato was, once again, stopped from his march by the distant sound, a rhythm of some sorts, which resonated very eeriely.

*indistinguishable chanting*

Concerned, he followed the voice with his ears.

He found a group of multi-religious exorcists made up of monks and priest and more, doing what seemed to be a ritual.

"What the..." Obviously not the only one noticing them, Hattori from behind him was perplexed by them as well. "What are they doing?"

The 'exorcists' were scattered all around the mansion. Some were nearby behind the corner.

Still not sure what those freaks –by Yamato's words- were doing, he picked his phone and hit the speed dial number that belonged to Yui. When she answered, he asked her of what exactly was going on.

"It seems as though the owners are not so trusting of our efforts and called those exorcist to purify the house against any 'evil spirit' that may reside inside. They wouldn't heed our requests to give us more time, and how ghosts did not exist-"

"STOOOOP!"

"-What was that?" Yui heard the cutting sound of the shout that came from his end. Yamato, himself curious, looked towards the sound origin only to find the sherry blond hair, now clearer due to the shift of the clouds, screaming her lungs out as she begged with all her might, almost falling from the edge with the way she leaned too much outside, for the freaks a little way in front of his sight to stop.

"Don't! You _HAVE_ to Stop! DON'T CONTINUE! YOU'LL RUIN IT! You'll Ruin EVERYTHING! _You FREAKS_!"

The girl kept on shouting, and leaning further and further dangerously outside the edge, but she fought back even as the Osakaan child reached her and attempted to pull her out of dangers hand. She kept up her screaming, but at him, thrashing and lashing around even more, beating the boy in her attempts to break free from his hold. And it didn't take long, continuing right where she left off, with uproars of threats on the freaks if they didn't stop immediately.

"I'LL MAIM YOU, YOU FREAKS! STOP IT! STOP IT Stop It stop it stop it stop it STOP IT! I SWEAR I WILL! I SWEAR I'LL DISFIGURE YOUR BODIES ENOUGH SO THAT YOUR CORPSES WON'T CAN'T BE IDENTIFIED! I -"

But said exorcists kept ignoring her.

Sudden silence took over as something somewhere Yamato couldn't see took place. Whatever it was, it seemed to have taken everyone up there, including the angered girl who swiveled her head, by surprise.

And that was the last Yamato, and Hattori alike, was able to see of them.

**XxX**

_With every death I revive from_

_I count a new year_

_So far, _

_I'm eight_

_I died eight times_

**XxX**

Seeing how Satoshi was struggling to get the girl away from the edge and Hakuba was standing uselessly on the side, unable to help due to his ghostly state, the young magician readjusted the still-sleeping Conan's position. He laid him against the small, sad excuse of a fence that surrounded the perimeter of the roof, but just as he was raising from his crouched position, he felt a grip on his ankle- a very tight grip that prevented him from standing. He looked at the hand and followed it to its owner.

"Conan…?" The boy, that was in deep sleep until now, held him in place with more than just the grip on Kaito's ankle. He was trembling, shaking vigorously, his face not visible due to the raven black hair acting as a curtain, but it didn't take long for Kaito to see his expression.

"…" The boy mumbled something Kaito couldn't hear. The teen asked him to repeat it, louder- And he did, a little shaky, but he did. "…No one _but _me…"Still the teen couldn't understand what he meant. He asked him again. This time the answer came clearer and the boy had finally raised his head for the teen to see his face as he said " ..Look at _no one_ butme…"

The voice was very pathetic and desperate.

Exactly as Conan's expression.

Conan's eyes were desperate and watery, like that of a child. Red marks of emotion under his cheeks and a quivering lip added to the effect. The most awkward part of it all was, it was doubled.

The second face, transparent, was a perfect clone to Conan's, but there was a difference in the hair length. The transparent face had longer, _not by much_, hair. Looking closer, Kaito noticed that it's not just the face, but the whole body. It was like having a double vision where one of them was a girl, while the other was a boy, resembling that of an identical twins.

"NO ONE BUT ME!" the boy said louder and stronger for all to hear.

The mere shout had almost scared Kaito out of his pants. The scream was a mixed pitch of Conan's and a much feminine one. But, again, that was not the only thing going on. Blue markings were making themselves visible on Conan's face and every inch of his exposed skin. They didn't seem to be that of injury but it freaked Kaito the same nevertheless, and he didn't know what to do.

That's when he heard her, hard not to when she was cursing so loudly. He managed to somehow pull his eyes away from the captivating blue eyes, as he looked towards the now cursing Haibara.

"Shit, shit, shit, shit, shit, shit, shit, shit, shit, shit, SHIT! Too late, too late, too late, TOO LATE!" She kept on saying as though it was some sort of a tantrum, but then she stopped for a sec and as though she had found some light of hope. She screamed "NO! Not Yet! " and she, yet again, threw herself on the fence, leaning again too dangerously over it and started shouting again for them to stop. But this time the girl didn't think that was enough. She started throwing pebbles, stones, anything she could find solid within her reach and would aim them at the exorcists, using all of her might to do so. Satoshi and Hakuba, again, went to try and calm her down.

But Conan didn't like Kaito looking away from him.

Kaito was harshly drawn back to Conan due to the death grip on Kaito's ankle increasing tenfold and even caused blood to flow from the boy's fingernails.

" _No One BUT Me!"_ the boy screamed, the more feminine voice taking over again.

Forced to look back at the attention beggar, he tried to loosen the grip on his ankle, which proved to be futile.

The stubbornness and selfishness in wanting all of the teen's attention was burning in her eyes and she wasn't about to let go.

Just as he was about to speak, the chanting started to fade which had the ghostly girl turning her head towards the general source.

The moment the chanting completely stopped, the blue markings faded as well, leaving blooded trail in their wake and the girl's image faded as well.

The spiritually weakened child loosened his grip as he collapsed face first on the floor, saved by Kaito's quick reflexes.

" What happened? Why did they stop?" Kaito asked as he adjusted Conan to have a better hold on him.

"It seems as though the inspector and that hot-blooded detective have managed to shut them up, at least for now, that is. But the Owner's aren't fairing well with this. In fact, one almost punched the Inspector in his one good eye. Quite overreacting if I must say so myself. I mean, it's absolutely unethical to believe in ghost to begin with." After assessing the situation downstairs, the blond made his way to where the magician lay with the boy in his hands again.

" That's coming from the person who is half-ghost himself?" Kaito teased the brit.

**XxX**

_In fact, _

_I just turned nine_

_In the last month_

_But it's okay_

_I don't care_

**XxX**

As the night drew on the group managed to return to ground without much trouble, with the joint effort of the house servants, and the inspectors, and the detective. The Owner's were asked, or more accurately, forced, to withhold any activity they'd want to do until the kids were sent back home. Conan was given the medical care he needed.

"WHAT - THE - HECK - AM - I - SUPPOSED - TO - DO? You're not gonna leave me like some sort of spirit, _r__ight?"_ Hakuba's self-restraint couldn't hold anymore.

" Oh, yeah. I wanted to ask you about that. What happened?" Heiji added more fuel to the already raging fire by his absolutely carefree tone.

"What _HAPPANED? _What happened you _DARE _ASK! UGHRR!" Words weren't able to describe Hakuba's feelings by then.

"H... How about you first try to make physical contact with your body? Maybe that'll do?" Satoshi cut in quickly, hoping to save his 'uncle' from anymore trouble he could get in.

And that's what they did. It didn't take long for Satoshi to somehow drag Hakuba with him to where his body lay asleep and to have the body and soul reunite. While those two were at it, the others were preparing them a ride to send them back to their respective houses. Agasa, Conan, Haibara, Satoshi, Kaito, Hakuba and Heiji were all but kicked out of the mansion, along with the police force as none of _them_ had actually fixed the problem.

**XxX**

_I could careless_

_I'm just wasting time_

_For as far as I know_

_I could've died many more times_

**XxX**

_**Merry Christmas to all!~**_

**And I'm sooooo _sorry_ this took so long ^^; I could understand if you're angry and thank you all for all those comments and alerts, it made me feel the story is loved T^T (happy tears) I really am! Thank you everyone**

**As I learned from my previous mistakes, I shall _Never _promise anything or talk anything about my 'plans' for the next chapter, or the future in general, because I seem to always jinx myself…. _And it's not funny!_**

**And I hope you have a nice holiday ~**

**Don't forget to leave a review ^^ **

**They work wonders in reminding me I have a story I need to take care off ^^, Oh and do check My DA account (http: / /alicin (dot) deviantart (dot) com /) [of course, take off the space and replace the dot] whenever you're free, I'd love it if you'd pass by :) **


	18. Side Story

All I want is to be loved.

I was trying my best to be adorable, to be lovable. I did all of the chores, all the errands, voluntarily. I made everything I did the best I could, I attempted to keep everyone as comfortable as I was able to. It was only natural, they were my family, by blood. The only reason I felt threatened and insecure was due to being the only one in my fair family to be so … _different,_ for I can't seem to be able to find another word. With my pitch-black hair, and sapphire blue eyes, I was literally the black sheep among white herd…

I kept it up for as far as I can remember. The results were: The twins cared for no one but themselves and their- our big brother. No one else existed in their own little world.

My mother interacted with me as little as she could.

My father never looked at me.

My big brother was the only one who kept me company and played with me.

My aunt only reacted to me if the occasion called for it.

It was frustrating.

Years went on and nothing changed. We moved from the expensive, big, two-story flat we lived into a very big mansion my father got for cheap. It was suspicious, as it seemed my father was having money problems, but he didn't want anyone to know or suspect anything about it, so he had taken it.

There was nothing to complain about. It was big and nice. Father saved enough money to keep the maids and butlers, even added some more,without much trouble due to the low cost of the house.

It was creepy though. A lot of the doors were locked. Half of the 'castle' - since it was just as big as one - was inaccessible. The walls, as much as they seemed to be easily climbable, were too dangerous.

After a while, windows that we locked at night before we went to sleep, were wide open when we woke up. I wanted to earn some points of respect and stayed up one night without the knowledge of anyone, just so I could figure out what was up with those happenings.

What I saw was… strange. They looked like normal humans and forest animals, some reminded me a bit of wolves, and it seemed as though they roomed the house as thought it was their own. Some humans even chatted lively with each other, but for some reason, no one noticed me. Even when they'd come close to me, they wouldn't even look at me. I never even felt anything as we sometimes touched. It's like they were… _ghosts?_ Yeah, ghost is the only way I can explain them.

I kept the night guard for two weeks before I told everyone about it, and as expected, no one believed me. No matter how many times I insisted that what I was seeing was real they wouldn't believe. My precious, lovely big brother even went out of his way to stay the night up with me… but he couldn't see anything. He was gentle in telling me that even though I was able to see them as clear as daylight and they were moving around him, at the same exact time he told me he couldn't see them! But that he couldn't so much as feel them- not that I could either but... At that a feeling came over me, a feeling of being a _freak_.

I remember tears flowing out unattended as the feeling struck.

My memories after that are fuzzy. I was too busy crying that I didn't pay much attention on what happened. The next day, the twins felt the need to rub it in even more. They had also stayed the night up, and again, they hadn't seen them. From that day on it seems everyone began talking about how much of a liar I was. That gave a reason for mom to hate me even more.

She called me a monster… even though I don't know what that has to do with me '_lying'_ .

Nothing I was overly surprised about,but it was disappointing. I was hoping for more…

Month's passed, and the events increased. The ghosts would sometime play a prank and throw mother's jewelry in the oven at night, only for everyone to smell burnt meat instead. Again, unsurprisingly, I was blamed for it. Reason? _ 'In revenge for not believing your obnoxious story.'_ Seriously, I don't know whether to be amazed or insulted by their _stupid _reasoning. But again, it's not as though it was the first time they did that to me… especially my mother, she _loved_ to hold onto anything that she can hold against me and start putting all her –seemingly endless- anger and hatred of me.

Now that I recall, Mom and Dad don't seem to be on quite good terms. Never in fact, if I remember correctly. I once overheard the maids talking about it. What was it, what was it… Ah! I remember. Something about suspect of… _adultery? -_ I think the word was, I remember it because it sounded funny, what does that mean anyways? Suspecting of becoming an adult? Why would anyone be angry about it? - And that I was seemingly the cause of that suspicion, specifically my black hair. That's ridiculous! I don't remember ever talking to dad, never the less doing anything to both mom and dad, for it to be my fault! Ah, humans and their injustice, blaming things on others.

Anyways, back to the rest of my story. I recall that one day I woke up from one of my naps to find no one, not even the staff, were home.

It was awkward. I remember I searched and searched everywhere for them but no one was there. I freaked out and started anxiously searching more. In my panic I even went to my parent's room, the one taboo room I was never allowed near, and to this day, I'm wondering whether that was my biggest mistake or would what happened would have happened either way? My bet is on the latter.

As I was too busy getting scared out of my mind, a solid object hit my head hard, forcing me in unconsciousness. Just before the black consumed me I saw mother holding a candle… And that was the last thing I ever saw…

Not long after, even through the unconscious world I was able to feel, heat. It was getting hotter and hotter by the moment. It started to get so hot that I couldn't hold in the scream of the pain anymore. It was hot, it was hot, it was _so _hot! I was _burning_!

It was so painful I remember it even now. My soul remembers every bit of that pain, but above everything else, it remembers the unbearable pain of abandonment that is more torturous than the burning.

**XxX**

I only wanted them to re-remember me but no one bothered.

Not even my precious big brother. No matter what though, I can't hate him, so I never tried to do anything to him. As for the rest, I did my best to keep myself engraved in their minds. I even wrote all I knew about their secrets –my family and staff- but no one even mentioned my name…

The rage increased. Not only did they kill me, but also they planned on forgetting me- No, even worse! They planned to erase my existence altogether!

But… I wonder every now and then, thinking, _Ah~ how ironic. Didn't I always wish I didn't exist?_ Maybe, it's because I still am. Because I still see and I still hear, could it be those traits let me feel that I might still want to be acknowledged? I don't know why, but it pissed me off to see them disregarding me as though I was trash- No. Trash gets noticed due to its smell! And it can't be air, since its essential… I can't think of anything that I can use as an example. Does that mean that I'm the only one who's less important than trash? The only _thing_?... I won't think further into it. It makes me so depressed.

It pissed me off so much that I was treated with so little importance. I was _Family!_ By blood! I may've had different features, but I was family… I was family… *Am I _that _unimportant? Am I so insignificant? Isn't something missing? Isn't someone missing me? * How much further can they kill me? How much longer will they continue to torture me? For heaven's sake I'm already _DEAD! _Have some mercy. I'm already dead. I'm already… so why, why do I feel as though I'm dying all over again?

Day's passed, and my family finally felt strangled and called for help. They started with a teenage detective and two police officers. The teen brought with him his girlfriend and a child- a cheeky child that looked fun to play with, and so play I did! But the boy didn't freak. No. Instead he unknowingly entertained me. Whenever I moved something he's start looking everywhere and every corner in search for the source. It was funny, and it was the most fun I had in such a long time.

After some days – _maybe the next day?_ Being a ghost makes me loose sense of time - another interesting child showed up. They called him Conan, as in Conan Doyle? That was a famous character, right? Or was he an author? Anyways, he was amusing and fun. I was shocked when I first saw him. I thought I was looking at my own mirror image with shorter hair and glasses.

Stunned, I tried getting into him, to try and see what he was like. Needless to say he was unique, very, very unique that I don't even know where to begin describing. His mind was like a shared room between three people, each with their own distinctive personalities.

The first corner of the room I saw was very similar to what I remember the twins were not too long ago when they were still under the double digit. It was full of toys and Video games and stuffed animals, though, this one had that touch of insanity, as some toys were - to what looked to me - deliberately broken or cut by the scissors not too far away. When the owner of said corner noticed me, he stared for a long while which freaked me out a bit. And then he said "Don't touch what's mine." After that he turned his attention back to the real world.

Considering that I was intruding on his private inner mind, I was surprised that he didn't shout at me or asked I get out. He didn't even bother put a fight. Strange.

As for the one next to him, he barely acknowledged me. He just spared a fleeting glance and then he went back to whatever he initially was doing… which didn't look like much considering he only sat there on his grey-white covered bed, head on one propped knee. 'Brooding' is the best word I can find to what he was doing. His side was… plain. There was nothing there. I wasn't able to even have an idea of what he was thinking or what kind of mood he was in. A word I don't remember I ever knew came to mind whenever I tried to describe him, even though I'm not sure what the word literally means, or if it even exists in dictionaries. It was….

'_Apathy'_

…I wonder…?

But the one side that actually amazed me was the 'normal' side. It had a bookshelf brimmed with detective and mystery books. At that time I used to pick up some and read. The corner was filled with Sherlock Holmes, and soccer related materials were everywhere in the small space, and a picture of a girl too. Weird. Looks like a crush, but she looks wayyyy older than him. And then there was a high school uniform, and newspapers bits and pieces clipped every here and there, pictures of him and other kids, as well as pictures of the girl with another high school student. But... the owner of this corner of the 'mind-room'…

_Wasn't there_

Whenever the other child one was 'relaxing' he'd play with me with his toys. I didn't think a ghost was actually able to play games in someone else's head. But it wasn't always fun. Sometimes he'd threaten me for 'taking what's his' but other than his weird mood swings, he wasn't such a bad playmate after I got used to it. At least he actually _played _with me.

Inside, I didn't bother with the outside when the child was in. His 'roommate' calls him Conan as well whenever he talked. He –'_Apathy'_ _I call him that to differentiate between the two_- reminded me of big brother whenever he was talking to Conan because he never interacted with me. Whenever Conan was conscious to the outside, it'd start getting boring inside. Only then did I keep an eye to what's happening in the real world.

At one point, in the middle of the night, Conan who was in deep sleep woke up. As a ghost, I wasn't sleeping, but the little boy was a bit out of it- half asleep he seemed to me. I was about to wake him fully when _Apathy_ prevented me from it for apparently no reason. He told me 'he'll wake up eventually'.

The boy walked out of the room in a daze as he wandered all over the place. He'd pick up almost anything that caught his eye for awhile until he lost interest in it and thew it away.

By the time he had finished with the first floor, he was fully awake. He went downstairs, from room to room, unnoticed by the others. He kept it up to the kitchen, and then to the butler's room. While he was in the butler's room he stole the tower's door's key and made that his next destination.

I remember I used to see, whenever I looked backwards, a black cat flowing in the distance. It was quite creepy. Ignoring it, I just kept going to wherever the boy went.

He kept on going up and up and up and up until he reached a room. He went inside and went to look in each and every corner. He found a decorated scissors and with it a disturbing thought came to him- a very, very disturbing question. '_Can this dull looking scissors hurt?'_

Even I, a ghost, dead, didn't like the idea! I tried to stop him, I tried to get _Apathy _to stop him. But he,_ Apathy,_ only sighed and went back to his bed to sleep. Thankfully not too late, after he started stabbing his hand, the tanned teen and his blond roommate came to help.

The ordeal didn't take long to finish and everyone went to sleep afterwards.

But not long after, as Conan slept with the blond teenager, in his sleep he told me how he liked all his 'niichan's, but how they always need to go back to their own houses. He said he wished for at least one of them to stay with him forever. I told him of a way- A way to keep one of them here, but I did tell him that they'd stay _here_, in this mansion. He didn't even let me finish my sentence before he nodded his head eagerly all ready to do whatever I had to say, though _Apathy _minded. He gave a lecture on how unreasonable it was, which fell on deaf ears, but he didn't do anything else to stop him.

I detached myself and went over to some of the ghost's that were roaming at that time to ask for help. I'm still too much of a novice at being a ghost to know what they did exactly, but they seemed to carry him - _his soul maybe?_ – to the other side of the mansion, to beyond the locked gate. When I returned it was already morning and Conan's other roommate, the one eyed man, had already went out to have breakfast.

As for Conan he was hugging the blond to him with such force, unwilling to release his grip. I didn't bother with why, I only returned to the inside of his mind, finding it ten times much more amusing. But… the ghosts remained even though the sun had risen. After a while a little girl –my age or a bit older- peaked into the room. I think she somehow saw the dead in the room for she ran out terrified. Maybe it was their overall aura– Wait! If I remember correctly her eyes met mine. I wonder if she saw me sitting on the bed near the two?

At another point during Conan's stay at the mansion, a bunny –a very freaky creepy bunny - was in the same room Conan had stabbed his hand. I noticed that _Apathy_ stood off of his bed when Conan started arguing, and had stepped in to argue himself at some points. I'm not sure exactally what words were said – weirdly I was even able to tell what the bunny was saying -but it went some thing like this:

"You've been doing outrageous things! You're taking advantage of Hattori's kindness. Just because he's giving you attention doesn't mean that he actually likes you! He's just feeling sorry for you, that's all!"

" Oh, you're just jealous that he loves _me_ more than he ever loved you! And I'm not taking advantage of him- that's insulting! And you, you, you should just leave him alone! You're so annoying you're freaking him out! And yes, I do know of your attempts to talk to him. When you first did he ran back to the futon scared, even though he'd deny it. Is that your way of saying how much you like him? By scaring him?"

" I did not! I was just trying to warn him of you! Hattori shouldn't stay anywhere near you. You are literally dangerous. It's bad enough you've stolen my friend, I don't want you hurting him too!"

"I will not hurt him! I never intended to hurt him! Why would you think I would? I won't hurt him, not _him_!"

"But you _do _admit you might hurt Kazuha or anyone else around him, right?"

"Of course! _That bitch-_"

"Hurting her will be hurting him as well. To be such a child as to not notice it, I'm surprised."

"Oh Shut up! You're just a measly little stuffed bunny now, Don't bother with stuff that's out of your hands.

"What's out of my hands? If you're going to hurt someone I can still stop you. The only thing that's out of my hands is you ruining my reputation. I'll force myself to stop you from doing stuff I find noticeably wrong!"

"You're dead! Stop trying to interfere. There's nothing here for you to force your nose in!"

"I am NOT dead! I'm just… out of my body."

"You still call it your body?" Apathy butted in.

"Of course! I don't know where you came from, whether you're just like Conan – an independent personality or something else completely, but I _do_ know that that was my body, just as much as it's any of the two of yours! And somehow, I'll find a way to return to it!"

"It's mine! I'm the first! I'm the original! You're the intruder. You're out now! And I'm more than happy that you are! I won't let you come back that easily!"

"….." The bunny's silent reply was out of anger, but under his breath he stubbornly said, "It's mine..."

With my great detective skills –which are non-existent-, I've come to the theory that the empty bed in the book-filled corner is the bunny's soul's room. When I asked later, no one gave me an answer, but they neither confirmed nor rejected the theory.

In the middle of their senseless conversation, the other roommate, good-looking stern one-eyed man, came and disturbed it.

The time I was with Conan, many things happened! Another event chanced, this time, it happened with Apathy, but it was such a hurricane- like emotions stirred the mental room into chaos making it hard to ignore. But considering, I only bothered to focus in the middle, I lost track of the conversation between him and the messy haired teen.

I do remember looking back at his side of the room and seeing that plain grey corner turn into a tsunami of hatred and betrayal. A picture of a woman showed up. I'll describe what I remember; she was of a petite build, very young, dark long hair, eyes hidden behind long bangs… or more like forgotten? Maybe Apathy doesn't want to remember the face? But either way, the view of said memory was always from downwards, *expected since he's a child*, and the woman had an undying frown, especially when looking at him- Probably the said 'hated person' from what little I caught from the conversation. Was it really his mother? She looked like she hated her child more than my mother did. The memories looked as though she was really violent towards Apathy.

Strangely, at the same time, a memory of another, much different woman, showed in the book-filled corner- the bunny's room. It was of a much kinder face- prettier and a bit older mother-like lady. Confusion and nostalgia were the overcoming feelings in that end of the room. I was so confused myself. I looked around. I couldn't help but ask for explanation, so I asked Conan, the only one who could possibly have any explanation. He said, "It's because nii-chan's mother is different from _his_ mother!"

"Nii-chan?" I asked for clarification.

He pointed to the grey side, "She calls him Apathy!"

So I still have 'he' and 'she' to ask about. "Who do you mean by 'he' and 'she'?"

"He is..." and again pointed to the other normal corner, "and she's the only one who knows us all."

"So they both have different mothers, do you too have a different mother?"

Ignoring the chaos around him, he shook his head with a big smile and replied, "No mothers for me, but two brothers." And showed two fingers. In some T.V. shows, they show kids having two mothers - adoption I think - so I didn't bother thinking about it any deeper.

In conclusion, I learned there are people out there who lead a life that is ten times, if not much more, more messed up than mine. After they left I didn't bother my family with my hatred and switched to pranking them for more entertainment than revenge- following Conan's advice in one of our conversations. I have to admit, it _was_ much more fun, and it relaxed me.

I was their child and, like it or not, I was going to act like it- I just wasn't going to be that perfect child anymore.

***Does anyone know which song I used as a refrence for these lines? ^_^**

**BTW this is the GHOST's POV, and it's telling everything i thought needed extra explaining from her view...  
**

**I'm So, so, Sorry! I know I've done such unexcusable thing by not updating in Five Months. But I swear! Exams is basically the only thing we did since the beginning of these two smisters! I know, excuses…**

**Rather, I'm more intrested if anyone is still reading… Please Review *puppy eyes* It's true I may not deserve it, but I honestly do not believe those 'trafic' or whatever numbers, there just too high! And I don't see much of a trace to them!**

**Don't worry! It's Conan's B-day, right? –and I picked this specific date to update- I'm not gonna leave you off with Just this small Chapter –Side story really- Just pray everything goes as planned, and you'll be having a surprise not to far from now.**

**Don't forget to please Review! You can even complain on how slow I am!**

**PS: Check My new DA: http:/alicin. deviantart. com/art/Happy-4th-of-May-Co-Chan-299951857  
**

**take out the spaces please!  
**


	19. Chapter 18

**Chapter 18:**

[** XxXGinXxX**]

_*!**Bang**!*_

"_AH! _ Be careful, you splattered all over me! This better get off easily…. Is this…. *_Sniff* _ is this _blood_…? _*Sniff* _It _IS!_ You….! _You..!_ This is my favorite outfit! YOU _Aghr!_ You'll be the one cleaning it!"

_***light noise as the safety is switched off* **_

Conan stood next to a lifeless corpse as the gory liquid oozed from it's wound right where the heart should be. Spitting out all this nonsense, he complained on how hard it'll be to clean the mess that befell him, to the man holding the gun to his forehead.

"Do you mind? That thing is cold, and I'm trying to get you to clean your mess off of my clothes. Well? Will you clean it, or what?"

The boy continued completely ignoring the emotionless cold stare in the murder's eyes. Not only ignore, but he also had the guts to swat the offending metal from his forehead.

The murder didn't resist the action, but instead he kept his eyes trained on the boy's every movement. He slowly and calmly returned the muzzle of the gun to it's rightful place… the middle of the kid's forehead.

"No, seriously, do you mind? It's freaking freezing. You're making me shiver." Conan again whacked the pistol from on his forehead with an irritated expression due to being absolutely ignored.

And Again, the murderer returned the cold gun to the kid's forehead, amused by the brat's expression.

"_*Sigh*, _Fine, Keep it there. But you'll still clean this precious outfit of mine." Conan pouted as he crossed his arms over his chest, staring stubbornly ahead at the man's ice emerald eye's.

" _Ho~_" _*Whistle~*_ The man finally showed signs of being capable of reacting. But after a few moments of silence he spoke, "You are one heck of a messed up brat, I almost pity you"

With that the emerald-eyed man raised the gun from the boy's forehead without any rush, and then pocketed the gun in the holster hidden under the black trench coat. He walked the small distance between him and the corps and flung it over his board shoulder. He then turned and started walking away.

But Conan wasn't going to let him off the hook. Not yet at least. " _Hey!_ What about my precious clothes?"

The man, halted by the kid's shout, resumed his walk out of the isolated alley, his long blond hair swaying behind him. But just before he turned a corner and out of the brat's view, threw a few words to him. "… Burn them"

The boy was fuming with anger, due not only being splattered with blood and ruining his favorite outfit, but also to being ignored.

Just as he was ready to let the anger steam out, a victim to it showed itself. Well, more precisely – they were heard as they called out from the alley behind the boy, which he had come from and was still at the mouth of it.

[**XxXTakagiXxX**]

"Conan! What are you doing here in this secluded place?" Takagi had, by some unfortunate circumstances, caught sight of the little demented kid's shadow in the empty alleyway, his form obstructed by the dumpster. "All sort of dangerous thing could happen when you're all alone in these kind of places..." The officer scolded worryingly.

A tick was quite obvious on Conan's head as he '_Tch'-_ed. He, pissed off, turned and marched toward the officer, to the mouth of the alley.

The obvious blood smeared shirt immediately caught the tanned man's attention. Worry increased ten-fold as he took in Conan's somewhat off attitude. He dashed the few feet that were continuously increasing between them, as the little boy kept on walking away from him.

"W...what happened? Are you injured anywhere?" Images of when the boy was first found after he was kidnapped came rushing back to the front of his memory. He mentally shook his head in an ineffective attempt to stop them from taking over.

The little boy ignored him, making Takagi's imagination run even wilder, as he kept walking away form his reach, until the officer could take it no more. Takagi took a firm hold on Conan's shoulder and forced him to turn around and look him straight in the eyes before he was able to lose him in the crowded street laying before them. He held a stern look as he physically forced the boy to look up at him, since he kept evading his eyes. And with his best strict voice, Takagi demanded " What. Happened."

Conan heaved a heavy sigh, and finally told the detective in defeat. " A dog died."

"…_Huh?" _ Takagi wasn't sure if he heard the boy right, so he asked again just to be sure. "… What... happened…?"

"A Dog Died."

"..how?"

" A block of cement fell and smashed it's head to million little pieces, just like that. _Bang!" Conan spoke with an un-amused frown._

"… is… is it back there where you were standing?"

"Some cleaners took it away already. Don't bother searching, you won't find it."

"… but still, I should probably check it out…"

"DON'T! I said it's _fine! _So don't do anything unnecessarily!"

_Gulp _"…S…sure…"

Even though it went against Takagi's police instincts, he found himself unable to defy the boy's penetrating gaze.

After the initial shock was over, Takagi was able to see how infuriated the little boy was. Knowing the boy's tendency to meet corpses and bloody murders often, he wondered if it was all just the dead dog's fault the boy was so upset.

"Is it just the dog that has you this livid…?"

"_Pft_, I could care less about that good for nothing lowlife. It's my clothes I'm pissed about!"

"W… what's with your... clothes?"

" Are you _blind?_ They're RUINED! And this is my favorite outfit too! What's there _not _tobe pissed about?"

"C…calm down, calm down, this is quite manageable. We could easily wash them, and they'll be as good as new."

Not only was Takagi extremely confused to the overdramatic reaction for such a simple manner, but also by the fact that Conan had so easily dissed his favorite animal – if he got the impression correct- and considered it a '_good for nothing, lowlife'_. Takagi couldn't help thinking that it was quite … harsh coming out of achild's mouth. He wasn't given a lot of time to think to deeply on the boy's reactions and facial expressions before he was brought out of his musing by a somewhat sudden change in the kid's demeanor.

Just as he was enraged with his inner mumblings and curses, a though came to him. He thought '_Why not get a new favorite outfit?'_ And he said:

"Buy me a new one."

The poor officer needed time to comprehend what Conan just demanded from him. He didn't even get to open his mouth before the little boy continued.

"It your day off anyways, right?"

Actually it wasn't, Takagi remembered. He was running after Satou, in the middle of a chase-the-criminal episode when he accidentally glimpsed Conan's figure in the alleyway.

As the flashbacks came rushing through, he cursed his lack of concentration and hastily speed-dialed Satou-keiji. It didn't take long for her to pick up and she answered him with a chipper voice, asking who it was. She obviously answered the phone without looking at the caller ID.

"Ah, it's me, Takagi. I'm sorry I got sidetracked. Did you catch the killer? Are you hurt? Where are you now?"

"Oh, Takagi-kun! Calm down, I did and I'm already back with him at HQ, and I'm fine too, so no need for you to worry. Say, where did you disappear to?"

"_Phew~_ Thank God, I'm sorry that was completely unprofessional of me to do. But you see, while I was running after you, I found Conan in a bit of an unusual place. I was worried and I couldn't help but to check on him."

"Conan? Is he alright?" Worry instinctively took over the cheerful woman, as she also was a tad overprotective of the demented kid.

"He's Okay, he's Okay. He's not hurt or anything." At the reminder of possible injury the boy might be lying about, he mentally noted to give him a quick look over.

"_Nee~_ Satou-niisan, would you like to join us? I'm taking Takagi-keiji on a shopping spree!~ Would you _pleeese~_ let me?"

"_Huh?_ I still need to get back to HQ…" Takagi spoke before Sato could.

Conan had somehow caught hold of Takagi's sleeve, making him crouch, and made sure the words could be heard on the other line even as Takagi kept a stern grip on his cell phone.

" _HAHAHA!_ Ah, if that's the case, then _sure~ _Go ahead! Who am I to say no to torturing Takagi-kun? _HAHAHA! _Don't forget to get me something with you. And by the way, I like that Satou-nii, it's so adorable!~"

"Hai! _Satou-nii~" _

"Wait! Wait! Don't I get a say in this?"

Takagi forced the phone out of Conan's reach and tried again to get himself out of this scary 'shopping spree'. But no, Satou-san had already taken sides with the kid.

"_Oh,_ Takagi. Just relax and have fun! I heard Mouri-san is out on a case. I'm pretty sure he's just lonely. Don't forget to catch some cute photos of him while you're shopping. _Bye-bye~"_

"_Ah!_ Satou… san... She hang up! _Sigh~ _ Now I can't return to HQ without getting scolded…" Takagi threw a half-hearted glare at the mischievously smirking Conan next to him as he said, " Be happy. We're going shopping…"_ Sigh_

"I _Am_ happy! Who told you I'm not?"

_Sigh._ "I hope today passes without any more complications. And what's with that, _'Satou-nii'_?"

"Satou–nii? It's because I'm sure she turned out to be a 'women', _bleh, _by mistake. You don't think so? By the way, you've been sighing a lot today. Are you alright?"

"Who's fault do you think that is?" _Sigh._ "Never mind. Let's just get this over with… And she _is_ a perfect 'Woman'."

"Suit yourself, blinded-with-love-man. Who am I to take that glimmer of hope from you?"

"_Oi, oi!_... _Ughr!_ Forget it. We'll NOT continue this conversation any time, EVER!"

"Understandable. Actually quite smart of you, since you know you'll end up loosing this conversation no matter how many times we go through it."

"_UGHR!_ The shop! The shop! It's waiting for us, let's go!"

"Aye, aye sir!" Conan saluted teasingly.

They entered the first shop nearest to them. Conan went through all the kid's section including the girl's/women nearby and took a round in the boy's/men's as well with a critical eye. It was so critical that nothing was worth giving a second look to.

Takagi wasn't sure whether to be relieved or anxious for the semi-quick first trip.

After ten stores, five shopping centers and two different malls later, Takagi and Conan finally sat to relax their abused legs - well, Takagi's abused legs - at an outdoor cafe that was ironically near Mouri's office.

Takagi recalled the main plots of his adventure shopping with the kid in front of him. After the third shop they visited, he realized for the first time the stares they were getting from the others around them due to the blooded shirt Conan wore. Ashamed by his slow realization, he quickly took the closest shirt and in the middle of the shop, barely hidden by all those Cloth hanger Takagi threw the shirt Conan was wearing away as he dressed the kid with the random article of cloth his hands caught from the nearest hanger.

The little boy didn't know what struck him as, in a blink of an eye, he undressed and was dressed again with a totally different shirt- a one with too many teddy bears on it too, and a tad too small on him. But, even though it was such an embarrassing shirt, he didn't comment when he saw the relieved look on the officer's face, seeing the eye catching blooded shirt removed from sight. Conan just continued viewing the rest of what that shop had to offer as Takagi paid for the low-grade material.

On the other hand, Conan was recalling a totally different experience. He was flashing back of when he had coincidently sat on the same table and chair with the messy haired teen. He remembered being extremely thirsty, for some reason or another; a slight blush crept on him. Even though he couldn't remember why.

Takagi, being the underrated-sharp guy he is, noticed the flush on the little boy's face as he seemed to remember something. He felt a bit devilish after the torture trip the kid had him go through. So, with a vindictive smirk of his own, Takagi casually asked:

" What are you thinking about?~"

Conan, caught by surprise, jumped up as he was dragged away from his inner thoughts. When he understood what the tanned man asked, the redness spread all over his face.

And again, for a reason unknown to him, he started stuttering. In an attempt to hide it, he angrily replied. "W-Why should I tell y-you!" Just for affect he added a growl at the end.

"_Hee~ _I can smell something embarrassing_~"_

"H…Huh? It's nothing like that! I was thinking of… I just of a new plan to stop you from buying an expensive junk for that tomboy crush of yours!" _HA! Attempt a retort to that! _ The little boy's thought were easily read by Takagi, as the boy crossed his arms over his chest defiantly.

"Uh…uh…" _Damn! But no matter what, I shouldn't let myself get played by him! _"_Oh~ _you won't –"

"_Co~chan!"_

Takagi and Conan snapped their heads towards the new voice… and the funny nickname.

Kudo's look alike, Takagi remembered seeing him before around Conan, was waving his hands with a devious smirk on his face.

"…speaking of the devil…"

Takagi didn't let the soft, low mumble escape his hearing, and neither did he let the flush that had taken a deeper hue from the corner of his eyes either. _Him, huh? Sounds like fun. Maybe I should experiment a bit, hehe~ Revenge time!_

" Hi, You're a friend of Conan?"

"? Uh-hmm! The name is Kuroba Kaito," he added a theoretical bow here. " Nice to meet you. You?"

"Takagi Wataru. Pleasure to meet you too. Here, take a seat, please."

"_Ooh~_ thank you!"

Kaito took the invitation and took the seat closer to the boy, whom to Takagi's notice was extremely quiet as he sat there staring at the teen. None of his attitude from earlier showed, but even so the blush, oddly, was nowhere to be found.

"Hello~" Kaito spoke playfully.

"Hi…"

Takagi got the feeling that this Kuroba was a cheerful person by nature. It seemed as though it was somehow rubbing off on Conan. _Well… isn't that interesting?_

"Oi, oi. Three ice creams? That ain't good for you! Here, let me _borrow_ one of them, for your own health!"

The hyper teen didn't give time for Conan to defend his ice cream even though he was quite possessive of it when Takagi first bought for him - _and attempted to take one since it was too much on the kid_. Takagi mentally noted that, too.

As Kuroba indulged in the soft, cold treat, he started some small talk with the little boy.

"So, How was your day?"

"Fine."

Takagi almost choked on the coffee he was drinking. _F__ine? Fine? He was just complaining until just a moment ago!_ _And what's with that tone?_ Conan's tone was non-caring rather than anywhere near pissed as he was earlier. _Hehe~ almost as though he had split personalities, but that's just ridiculous._

"What did you do? Were you with anyone?"

Conan shook his head negatively. " Tousan is still out on his case, and I haven't seen Hakuba since Hakase dropped him off at his house late last night."

"What about Hattori?"

"…"

The silence brought Takagi's full attention and he tried his best to be as unnoticeable as possible as he read Conan's expressions and body language. It was awkward to see the heavy silence on the mentioning of the kid's best friend.

"…uhm, did I miss something?"

Takagi was grateful for the teen's request to clarify, that way he wouldn't have to say anything and sound as though he was butting in.

"Who knows? Haven't heard from him since Hakase dropped him at the station…. At his own request…" Conan spoke up. The last part was said with a little of vigor.

"Oh don't tell me you're angry 'cause he went back to Osaka?" Kaito asked stumped. "You do know he had to take care of Kazuha and that other kid and get them back home safely, right?" at the mentioning of Kazuha, Conan's eye twitched irritably.

"…"

_Sigh._ "So what did you do today?" The teen didn't let the silence last too long.

"I woke up, was bored, and Ai wasn't planning to get out of the house. So, I went out alone. Trying to have some sort of an adventure, I explored almost all the alleys from Hakase's house to where Takagi-keiji found me."

"And... Did you discover anything during your exploration?"

"Just that the dumpsters stink."

"_HAHAHA!_ Of course they do! What did you do after Takagi-keiji found you?"

"Shopping for a new outfit took almost two hours."

"_Eh. _You could've just waited for me! I'm quite proud of my connections and the shops I know would've gotten anything you want with _at least_ fifty percent discount! And I happen to think that I have a good sense of fashion, too."

" _You?_ No thank you. I don't want to end up like a clown with your 'good sense of fashion'"

"Oi, oi! That was so un-cute!" Kaito lightheartedly scolded as he took hold of the boy's cheeks and stretched them. "Are those the lips that said that?"

"_Ouch, ouch, _… _lips…_? Well, that was awkward for some reason."

"hmm? What was…? AH!" He immediately released the boy's abused cheeks as his own turned scarlet. " I meant mouth- I meant mouth! That was a slip of mou-lips-mouth! Aghr! You're making me confused!"

"_Pft" _Conan chuckled wholeheartedly, something Takagi hasn't seen since _then._ On the other hand, the frustrated teen just gave up on making sense and instead he laughed along the little boy next to him.

Somehow, Takagi felt out of the loop.

But that was just selfish and stupid of him, he thought. He was happy that the boy had seemingly got over the _incident_, the same incident that brought evil thoughts with it every time he remembered it .

Suddenly Conan's chuckles stopped, soon followed by the teen in concern. The sudden silence that followed brought Takagi back to reality. He looked up to see what's wrong and his eyes had immediately fell on one, in this case, unwanted guest. Though he personally had nothing against the woman, he knew too well that Conan did _not_ appreciate the attention that specific woman gave him.

Takagi took one more look on Conan's tense form before he made up his mind. He plastered a smile, fixed his tone to a cheerful one, and stood up – surprising Kaito and Conan in process. It also caught Ogino's attention as he made his way to her.

" Ogino-san, Hello! I hope I haven't caused trouble by not showing up back at HQ." He met her half the way across the distance she needed to get to them.

"Huh…? Ah, no, no. It's okay. Satou-san already covered for you."

_She's pissed,_ Takagi thought with a sliver of evilness. "I see. I better thank her later, I guess. Do you mind filling me on what happened?"

"Eh? Sure… But what about…?" She looked over his shoulder.

"Ah, Conan? It's alright, his friend came by so he won't mind. Never mind, just take a seat please and tell me, what did I miss?" He added a blinding smile just for effect.

"…sure…"

_She was definitely pissed._

It's not like he hated the new addition to Beika's division one. In fact, she was smart, _that _he can't deny. But, she seemed to be determined to get close to everyone's favorite little Conan. She seemed to think he's responsible for the 'suicide' of the man's partner that had taken Conan hostage. _Honestly,_ Takagi thought, he didn't care even if Conan had something to do with that guy's death. He was NOT let the little boy go through any sort of stress anymore! _And nothing on earth would shake me from my determination._

He made sure to convey the idea that he won't let Ogino anywhere near Conan. He kept her busy talking about work as he saw, from the corner of his eyes, Kudou's look alike and Conan cluan cleanup and go somewhere away.

When those two were out of sight, Ogino's face turned serious as she asked a single word. "_Why_?"

"Because you are being insensitive." Enough said.

She didn't say a word after that. They sat quietly drinking the Coffee Takagi had forced on her, that he ordered beforehand to keep her in place and left just as silently when she was finished.

Takagi went back to Police Statin from there now that Conan was in supposedly safe hands. He assumed Ogino went back to work, or her home. He honestly could care less where.

After running away from the persistent woman, Kaito and Conan did practically nothing as they just roamed around, talking about nothing important- just blabbering about different things in general. By sunset, Kaito offered to accompany Conan back to Hakase's house. When they reached it, Kaito left him with a simple magic trick and headed to the train station and back to his own place.

Left at gate, Conan felt it was still too early to call a day yet. So, leaving again, he went on another exploration that surround isolated, creepy places again.

[**XxXGinXxX**]

" Ah! You… _you!_ What are you doing? Daring to cross paths with me after putting me in such a bad mood? _Ughr_!"

The blond man calmly turned to look at Conan. He stared at him as though he was nothing more than a barking puppy. And as Conan continued complaining about his day, Gin simply watched.

"You! I really hate you! Actually, scratch that! I really, really _despise_ you! You forced me to burn my favorite outfit! And ever since then I've been in such a bad mood, I don't know what to do to get out of it! You!… You… _Meanie!_"

The boy kept on and on as the blond long-haired man kept on watching, entertained by the younger male. But what the boy didn't know, and the man chose not to tell him, was that a figure was slowly approaching him, hidden in the shadows. The figure didn't really care about the boy, he wanted the blond man, but that didn't matter, because either ways he still made Conan even madder –when he finally realised the man- if possible.

The figure had slowly and steadily crept behind Gin, a pistol ready in hand to shoot the blond. Even though he was behind him, and well hidden in the shadows, Gin did notice him. He didn't think he was much of a threat though. Instead he found the little boy's flustered face a much better attention holder. Thus, he disregarded the assassin.

"GIN!"

The assassin, a middle-aged man that wanted revenge for some reason, approached quietly before his anger and hatred couldn't handle it anymore and he started screaming and shouting his absolute loathing towards the blond man. As he did that he began shooting with aiming skills of an amateur, shooting practically everywhere _but _Gin.

Said blond man, even then, didn't bother moving an inch from his place. In fact he didn't seem to be bothered by the semi-insane man behind him at all.

On the other hand, Conan was anything _but_ calm. Not only was he already in a bad mood, and taking his opportunity to throw it on Gin, but also this senile man had gone and grazed his new outfit with one of his stray bullets! The one he just made Takagi buy him, instead of another useless expensive brooch for the tomboy officer. Yes, he wasn't angry… He was _furious_!

"You…! _You_ grazed my _new _outfit! You Fool!"

The angered child shouted at the face of the perplexed old man, still holding the gun with quivering hands.

The boy took a moment and inhaled deeply to calm his nerves down. Fury suppressed for the time being, the blond assassin was able to see a black cloud of evil aura forming above his head. Believing that things will only continue to become even more entertaining, the blond made a point to not move his eyes from the boy's little figure. Though what the said boy asked did surprise him, even though his straight face would never allow anyone to notice.

"May I have your gun, pretty _please, _Mr. Assassin?"

Conan raised his hand, expecting the metal object from the blond man as he forced on his face what should've been a polite smile.

"…"

Gin stared at the boy as he assessed the situation. Turning I it over and over in his head, the blond found no reason to deny the kid his innocent request. Thus, he handed his precious handgun to the waiting hand, a pocketknife ready in the other in case the boy dared to scratch his gun then he'd scratch his neck.

"Thank you very much, _Mister,_" the boy said, smiling. This was a genuine smile of gratitude. Gin found that the smile beautified the boy's face and made it much cuter than any other makeup did to those women he had the discontentment of meeting. But the man behind him, on the other hand- he wasn't so sure if he'd be thinking the same…

The boy professionally held the gun aimed it at the still confused man in front of him. Gin cleared the way for the kid and calmly walked around the boy to come to stand behind him. Rest assured that he had found himself the best 'seat' in the stadium, he lit a cigarette and waited for the show to begin.

" _Nee~_ Old man, where would you like it?"

The beautiful, pretty, innocent smile that enhanced the deranged man was, faster than a blink of an eye, gone just after he finished talking.

Thrown off balance, the gun held carelessly in one hand, the man rubbed his eyes at the raged face his eyes saw instead. After a second, dribbling blood came pouring down from a hole in his hand he swore wasn't there two seconds ago. He stared at it for a few seconds, and only after scratching the wound did the pain finally register.

Before he was even able to well his vocals to screech in pain, the second bullet landed in his stomach. The hand that went to check the new wound was pierced, it too in the upper forearm.

The bullets were raining at him without even giving him the time to scream in pain of the previous injury. His wide opened gaping eyes were unable to catch with the speed of the formation of new injuries. Only when the little monster willingly gave him a break after the third shot was the assailed man able to finally shout and scream his pain.

But even though he was given the opportunity, the man was unable of doing anything but scream, too immobilized by fear to even think of running away from the demon in front of him. All he did, all he could do, was brace the pain as he crouched on himself looking smaller, and scream.

His break was short lived as another gunshot came at his crouched from, and pained his leg. It hit his left ankle, making the strain on the said ankle unbearable, forcing him to fall hard with a loud thud on his knees, screaming in a whole new pitch.

Bewildered by the ability of such a small child to torture him, he forced his trembling self to look at what sort of face the kid could possibly be making, and he wished he could retract his actions once his had.

He was smiling.

It's a wonder how a smile can make someone so pretty, but in within less than a moment it can be altered to plant fear in the hearts of even the worst of murders and terrifying killers.

His eyes screamed insanity.

His body was trembling with pleasure un-comprehendible to the old man.

Shocked speechless, pain momentarily forgotten, the bleeding man stared, mouth opened. It was very hard for the shot-up like a dartboard man to believe that what was in front of him had any semblance to humanity.

Holding the gun with one hand, Conan's other hand came over his the side of his face as he tried his best to suppress his laughter. The only reason Conan stopped shooting was due to his inability to keep a stable aim on the gun as his laughing fit made it very hard to keep his hand still.

After the third or forth time attempting to regain his composure he gave up and pulled at the trigger without a steady aim, resulting in a hit to the man's left thigh.

The bullet brought back the pain to the front of the wounded man's conscious mind. With five bulks of lead either passed through or still in his body the pain was unbearable, and the slight breeze composed of the chilly night carried his screams several blocks away, aided by the general silence of the secluded place and in the dark hours of the day.

Still in his sickly pleasured hazed mind, Conan shot another bullet, his laughter's volume were almost at par with the man's agony-induced cry. The new bullet hit somewhere near/around the base of his neck, making the already bleeding man to bleed even more. The blood oozed out more than any other wound did.

Still in desire for more, the hysterical child pulled the trigger yet again.

When the boy didn't hear a increase in the pain-ridden shriek, his laughs came to a sudden end. His smile immediately dropped, he eyed the revolver suspiciously and pulled at the trigger again.

_Nothing_

No _bang_ no nothing.

He tried again.

_Nothing_

With a frown he had finally realized that he had already emptied the contents on the stupid old man, weakling, chicken in front of him.

Grudgingly, he looked behind him to where the original owner of the gun stood silently watching over him. The boy stared for a few minutes before he seemed to have reached a conclusion. He reached his hand up, in much similar manner to when he first asked for the gun. And simply asked, "More."

The boy was in no need to even bother have wasted the breath voicing it, for it was already obvious to the blond. Even though he was having fun watching , he refused the boy with a straight "No."

Frown deepening on the child's, it didn't last long though as it turned to a cute, innocent, adorable pout accompanied with puppy-eyes, big and watery to complement the looks. And with a shy tone he asked again. " Preety, please"

Gin was willing to applaud the kid for his noble-award wining act with another deadpanned. "No."

As it seemed to Gin, that the boy's face was able to turn from one extreme to another within a blink of an eye, as an icy-dead-cold eyes looked up at him with the gun aimed at his heart.

"_Now…" _He said in an almost muted, daunting, threatening voice.

Gin didn't even bother reminding the little boy that barely reached, with his arms outstretched, his waist that the gun was empty. All in all, Gin didn't find him least bit intimidating, as he yet again repeated himself. "No"

But as the two where in their own world, the wounded –somehow forgotten man - took advantage and retook hold of his accidentally discarded gun. And with a hipped up cry he shot blindly and consecutively at them.

Before he was even able to finish his share of the bullets - that landed nowhere dangerous near any of the two, mind you - he heard the sound of a gunshot not his own.

With swift, elegant, quick moves Gin took out a hidden pistol and shot the '_annoying_' – as he thought - old man cleanly between the eyes, causing instant death.

The irony lied in the fact that that one shot from Gin caused splattering of blood on Conan's face and cloth.

The boy calmly inspected the dirt with a skeptical eye before staring pointedly at the blond young man next to him. Said blond held his gaze for a few moments in silence.

When almost a full minute passed by, Gin broke the silence. "Burn it. "

A visible tick formed on Conan's forehead as anger gathered in the short body. The cloud of evil aura came back again, Gin noted, forcing its host to shake vigorously. The small boy gave him his best death glare before a deadly smirk took residence on his face. He quickly went through his pocket and snatched a lighter from it and took a ready stance to leap on the well-bored assassin.

"_Sure~_…Yours that is!" The boy yelled irately. Not that Gin was concerned, but Conan's arson attempted was cut when a meow was heard somewhere behind them.

The little boy seemed to recognize the distinct voice, for he froze in his place and swiveled to the source of the sound. It didn't take long for him to find the one-blue-eyed feline hidden in the shadows of the narrow place. The little boy was quick to drop his attempt at burning Gin and made a dash towards where the cat hid, after he had carelessly thrown the lighter from his hand.

Conan stopped a few centimeters away from the mammal, crouched down and gently picked it up.

His facial expression softened considerably as it went to relatively more childish face, making it impossible for any passerby to even think of believing that he had anything to do with just wrecking someone up, and that he had talked casually with a top-rated assassin.

The boy wasted just one pointed glance at the blond before making his way out of the alley and back home as it was getting quite late at night, giving a loving cuddle to the cat.

Just when the kid was out of sight, Gin's trusted partner came to the scene, belated.

"Sorry, I'm late Aniki..." He paused for a while as he flowed the other's gaze towards the mouth of the alleyway they were in. "..Uhm, did I miss something..?"

If it were possible for the cold blond to show comical expressions, a sweat drop would've been seen as he thought to himself somewhere along the line '_the world gets stranger'._

[**XxXAyamiXxX**]

_That manipulative, puppet master, bastard! He's got everyone wrapped around his fingers! No one would let me get near him. No one would let me so much as question him! They won't let me say anything about him without getting scolded. "_What do you know about him?" _ Even Megure-keibu! After all the trouble I did to get transferred here, I WON'T let that brat get away. He definitely had something to do with the death of that man, if he didn't kill him that is…_

Ayami was lost in her furious thoughts while she drove at a snail's pace through tight sub lanes trying to get to her newly rented apartment. _It was small, dirty, and unattended too_, might she add. The neighborhood was also so very 'low class'. She released a heavy sigh as she almost drove past a very important clue to the case she was currently obsessed with.

But she wasn't a detective for nothing. She immediately stopped the car, practically kicking the breaks into action. She brandished a spy High grade quality camera and zoomed in on the figure of her '_affection'_ coming out of an alley at the dead of the night with a big creepy one-eyed cat, that had an even creepier blue rose on what seemed to be it's eye patch. After another few snapshots she noticed the blood stain on her little crush.

Staggered, her suspicion grew. She followed him slowly to make sure he wouldn't notice her… and the stupid backstreet didn't allow for anything faster anyways.

As it was, she ended up stalking him all the way to a better neighborhood - the kind of neighborhood someone like her, stuck with the apartment she had, would envy having a house here. The houses looked relatively will-kept and the street wasn't full of garbage as hers was. There was this one eye-catching house though. It was big, and looked very expensive. It caught her attention even more when the boy made his way in its general direction. But, she should've known better, for he skipped it and rang the bell of the house right next to it- which wasn't all that different in the fact that it stood out.

She wasn't sure what to expect when the person that answered the door showed. It was difficult from her angle to get a good look at the person, but she was surprised when the girl with the red hair was the one to usher the boy inside.

With that, the boy was out of her sight. The big yawn that came from her reminded her of how tired she really was. As her brain went black for the night, she went back home. The moment she hit the bed, she was long all ready into the world of sleep…

**XxX**

**Is anyone still reading? Reviews help me regain some of my confidence… and Motivation to 'Start' the next chapter**

**And as I 'Semi-promised' here is the next chapter! All in Honer of Conan's Birthday… it's still continuing…**

**Just DON'T get used to it… I probably won't start the next chapter until sometime in mid June, considering Exams _the OFFICIAL Exams – will start this Wednesday… Oh boy! Pray me good luck!**


	20. Chapter 19

**Chapter 19:**

_Ah, it's her again._

_She's stalking me literally this time. I wonder what I can do to get her off of my back? I really, really don't like her. When will she learn that? She's getting extremely annoying now. Honestly, I wish getting rid of her would be that easy and without any consequences. Sigh~_

"What's wrong? That woman's getting on your nerves already?" Ai spoke up from right next to him, seeing him jump to ever so slightly at her sudden input.

"You noticed too? Even though she is supposedly a police officer she's already been caught. What a joke!"

"Whether she's a good officer or not, I know for one thing you can sense women from over a mile just because you despise them, while I've been hiding from a very scary organization making me on the lookout ever since. It's probably just us being more observant than the rest civilization rather than her lacking any skill."

"…" Conan didn't find a need to comment on Haibara's observation so he just let the topic die out.

After a lapse of silence, as Haibara went to start cooking today's lunch, she started again. "What do you plan to do today? Let her follow you around as she pleases? And maybe get herself into some load of dangerous trouble that you usually get into?"

"I was thinking of scaring the shit out of her! What do you think? What do you think?" Conan replied with a mischievous smile on his face that just barely touched that of an evil smirk as well.

"I couldn't care less about it, just as long as you don't get the other police officers involved into it." She stirred the soup, taking a little sip to taste It before continuing. "And Conan, mind your language."

"Hey! No fair! How come you don't say anything to Apathy and _him_ but you keep telling me to 'mind my language', huh?"

"Because as far as age or maturity goes, you ARE a child unlike the other two. Now stop whining and pass me the salt. Might as well help a bit while you're here!"

Conan reluctantly gave up the hopeless recurring conversation, knowing he would lose it anyways, but not without mumbling every now and then as he did as the queen said.

After finishing eating lunch, Hakase went back into creating some more 'junk', as Haibara loves to dub them.

"I'm booored! I'm going out to play!" Conan was already at the door.

"Play, huh? Apathy, make sure he doesn't kill someone to satisfy his boredom."

"Hai, hai! He says he'll try his best"

"Your best means nothing! I'm serious, here! Don't- Do- Anything- that would get people angry at you!"

Conan closed the door just as she was finishing her warning/threatening, leaving her talking to air. Furious as she was, she made a note to herself to follow him after finishing the house chores for today. After all, what can he possibly do so outrageous and dangerous in a span of two or three hours?

As for little Conan, as he walked the road aimlessly. He quickly realized a car following him. _That Woman, _ he thought hatefully.

And true to his words it was Ayami following him again this morning. She made a point to wake up with the hens just to make sure not to miss him- then ended up being five hours too early. But nevertheless that didn't deter her from doing anything she can to solve the enigma called Conan. Yes she knew he supposedly has a few screw loose ever since after his kidnapping case, but she can't help but feel those loose screws are in fact very, _very_ dangerous.

Whether he was like that to begin with or just after the case, she still believes people around are cutting him too much of a slack, that they're being too lenient with him, that this lenience might ruin him, if it didn't already, beyond repair. For goodness sake, no one would even listen to her _suspicions_ of his possible connection to the dead man's apparent suicide! She couldn't stop getting angry at them, thinking _this isn't what I became a police for! _Knowing that a lot of her colleges wouldn't have dismissed such a possibility if it were to be any other person, even if they were to be a child. But then again, when you're at work you're supposed to throw all your personal feeling away, lock them in a safe somewhere and throw the key away. But then why? Why is this child so special?

She knows that Beika's police officers are no amateurs and that they had to deal with their relatives and friends being under suspicious of murder and some might have been the criminal. So why this no-name guy? Not even the Mouri's know much about where he came from! _ According to my research, he could have been literally been a stray cat, a street boy, and they had taken him in. _ But why? Why? Why? Why? Why does no one listen to her? Why does no one want to blame the kid for anything? Why does no one wants to question the boys motives of anything? Other than the teenage girl that was in the haunted mansion case, no one blames him of anything.

_As though a spell had been casted on them._

She went and talked to the Mouri girl. The girl didn't say anything new. She repeated what her friend had told everyone. But unlike her friend, she kept on trying to give excuses on the little boy's behalf, saying he was a lot more like her little brother than a stranger freeloading at their house. When Ayami asked her what she knew about the kid she was surprised to find that boy was no relative to her, but in fact, some far away relative to her childhood friend, who, of course, is himself ironically missing without any trace but the few phone calls he'd make just to assure her that he's still alive. If she thought that Kudou Shinichi was fishy before, now she's sure of it!

His name had somehow mysteriously disappeared off of the papers since almost three years now. At the same time she found it weird that when she came to Beika that one case before, the mah-jong tile case, to find he is apparently still helping the police but with much more secrecy around it, and dare she say, guarded cautiousness? Considering that Beika had her only interested in one individual even long before the kidnapping case, she never really bothered analysing the little information about Kudou before. After all, after her visit to Beika, and Conan's seemingly being ahead of them in their investigation, he always fascinated her. Everytime she'd hear his name mentioned according to a case on news, she'd unconsciously tape it, and later on in the middle of the night, rape the repeat button. Especially when the police mentioned him during the Governor's attempted assassination while at the opening of a train station.

Her obsession has also led her to search for the kid's legal papers within the system. And it seems that nothing is known about him before those three years. It's like he never existed! His first appearance was at the same date Kudou Shinichi had 'disappeared'. What else can be more of a red alert than this? Nothing. If it weren't for the impossibility of a grown teenager to shrink, she wouldn't have thrown the idea that the two are in fact one.

But regardless, she now has to put her questions and theories aside, and make sure she doesn't loose him.

After half an hour of following him, she wondered if he had already found her out because of the fact he continued to take to the narrowest of places. After a while, she couldn't continue letting him play her, so she parked her car and started following him on foot.

But little Conan wasn't about to give up on his fun just yet. He kept leading her from one place to another completely random one and did not make any sense. For example, after going to the back door of a Chinese restaurant he gets out of the restaurant without ordering, nevertheless sitting, and even though there was a candy shop right nearby, he goes all the way to the one in the next neighborhood, and from there to a pet shop. The whole morning was spent like that, jumping from one place to another. What Ayami found worth noting that a lot of people seemed to know the little demented boy.

When the local clock struck twelve o'clock the boy hastily ran to an abandoned alley way, seemingly his favorite for he keeps on making a detour just to take these fishy isolated paths, making it ten, No, a hundred times much harder to follow.

By now Ayami _knows_ that he knows, but still she didn't give up her possition and kept silently stalking him. She waited five minutes, each second felting like an hour before she went ahead and entered the last alley he had walked in. Being a professional she knew she can't just enter right after him so she waited for him at this alley's only exit- yet he still didn't show up. Regardless of the high risk of him waiting for her inside, she took her chances and without a sound made her decision and entered.

_Not here_

The little boy was nowhere to be found. After a quick inspection of the surrounding area, the only possibility she could come up with that he entered one those building. For starters she checked all that were unlocked. Whether it was fortunate or unfortunate, she still doesn't know, that there was only one easy to open door. She doubted it'd it was where he went. If the boy didn't want her to follow he'd surely lock the door behind him. Only if… he _did_ want her to follow! Then it'd all make sense! Well… just a little, the boy himself is insane, so his actions being the same won't be surprising.

What she didn't expect is to find a door wide open as though inviting her to walk in. The building was old but unlike what she had expected, the building wasn't abandoned. In fact, the poor cracked building that gave the feeling as though it was about to fall any second now was filled with people. The poor had seemed to take it as a roof above their heads. The place not only stunk of dirty old men, but also of whore, tobacco, drugs, and alcohol. Ayami had always wondered how come the people on the street had enough money to buy beer and cigarettes, and get themselves addicted on drugs- which is quite the money eater- but not have enough money to take a shower? She started doubting herself. Maybe Conan hadn't come here… she thought. But after getting enough courage to ask one of the many,_ many_ people staring at her, without the need to say _maliciously. _"Excuse me, but have you seen a little boy come by here?"

The place went silent long before when she first entered, but for some reason the silence felt heavier after she spoke.

One unshaved middle-aged man reeking of sake, with a cigarette in his mouth and foul breath, walked up to her with heavy steps until he was toe-to-toe with her. "Aoi had waited long enough for you, he got tired of it and then went down those stairs. Left the door open for you."

_Aoi? _"Uhm… But I don't know any Aoi. Maybe you mistook me for someone else?"

"Hmm, Nope! Definitely you. You look exactly as he described."

"And how is that?" She asked a bit hesitantly, the buffed guy coming closer and closer if that's even possible, forcing her to tilt her head so she could talk properly to him.

"Annoying, stubborn, stalker. Yep, that's got to be ya."

"_Al le le_~ Seems as though I was late" She quickly made her way to the aforementioned door and down the stairs, not wanting to stay in the company of those obviously on the other side of the law. Not only him but also all those around him where giving her _the _glare. Officer as she may be, she still won't stick her head in any more trouble than what is needed to get what she wants.

What she definitely would have never guessed was that the stairs lead to a steel door that was ajar and lead to the sewers. Shocked by the discovery, she didn't have time to even think before distant echo of footsteps caught her attention and had her moving again, following in whatever direction she had heard.

To say that the place was confusing would be an understatement. It was like a well thought on labyrinth! It had the poor woman walking endlessly for almost four hours, or the echo! Always making her doubt herself whether she is following in the right direction or had she gone astray. Before she finally heard the sound of stepping up the ladders followed by the thud of a manhole cover being removed, the person making his way outside.

It took her a while to catch up, and pinpoint the exact direction before she finally saw the removed lid beckoning her to follow. And follow she did.

A better half of the day had passed since she started following the little boy. When she finally saw the sun again, it was already late in the afternoon. Regardless how tired and hungry and thirsty she was, she investigated her surrounding and tried to find the little insane boy. The place looked to be an abandoned street where only a few warehouses were stationed alongside the far away highway. Nothing else, just open space covered the rest of the area.

It didn't take her long to notice the opened basement door nearby. And as she had done since this morning, she followed yet again...

The room she found herself in was… eccentric.

It was full of odd torture tools that she had only seen in old movies. But what truly set the alarms in her mind was the blood stains, and most importantly, the police tape. Her detective brain brought out memories of what she was told about the kid's kidnapping case…

_"It's not just any kidnapping case. His guardians weren't even called for ransom, that's why it took a lot of effort to find him and when we did, it was a bloody miss. The kidnapper, one as far as we know, had done a number on him, from physical to mental torture. Did you see the freaking basement? Not that actually went to see it, as much as I wanted to go, but I was mailed pictures. It was full of medieval torture tools. 'Til now, no one knows what had been used on him and what hadn't,-"_

_So this is what they were talking about_ Ayami thought to herself.

*TURN*

"What's with this death glare you're giving? It's so strong anyone would be able to feel it from a mile. Do you hate me that much?" Ayami smirked as she talked to the figure sitting on top of the shoulder of a …_coffin?_ It was a metal wired in the figure of standing human, hands to his side

"Yep! I hate you TONS!" the only other occupant of this creepy bloodied room said to her in a cheery voice with a loving broad smile.

"Lovely… Say, what are you doing here? Isn't this where you were found?" She asked, looking around her without really taking her attention off of the kid.

" Yep, yep! As expected of an officer, you already figured this out even though you were never here."

"True, but with everyone talking about it, it's sort of hard _not_ to notice it. Aren't I right?"

" Is that so? I didn't know people were still talking about it. Isn't it old news by now? I do believe at least a month or more had passed, not that I'm counting so I may be wrong."

"Not when the news revolves around their favorite mascot, Edogawa Conan. You are practically everyone's favorite. When said mascot gets kidnapped, not for the first time, and found in the state you were, of course everyone will talk."

"Hmm…. I didn't know, makes me feel soooooo Loved! Thank you for telling me."

"You are. But I'm pretty sure all _this_ is old news for you, manipulative brat." She said it with a calm smirk as though she wasn't insulting.

"Hey! How rude, already insulting me when all we're doing is just talking."

"Then shall we continue talking? Who's Aoi?"

"Aoi?" He questioned as he fiddled with something in his hands that was out of her view. "Oh, did that old drunken man say that?"

"Yes, that _Aoi had waited long enough_ when I entered that building."

"Oh, never mind him- it means nothing. That old man, more like all of them, didn't bother remembering my name; instead they went and called me whatever the liked. Aoi seems to be in reference to my eyes or something like that. I honestly don't remember their explanation." He scarcely spared her a glance before returning his attention to whatever he was doing. "Anything else while I'm in a generous good mood to give answers?

"Then how about this? I'd be more than happy to hear your side of the story."

"Which side?"

"Yours."

"As I said 'Which?'"

_Could that be my confirmation for multi-personalities theory? "_The one that was here during the case."

"That's all- as I said ' Which?' Are you that stupid Old Hag that you can't understand the question?" he insulted her with a wide smile and happy face.

_Old hag? Ignore, sigh…_"Then, what about the one right in front of me now?"

"Me? Well, I was enjoying criticizing them as they were doing what they did, I think."

'_Them' So there WAS more than one! _" Say, if the other kidnapper was so scary, then _why_ didn't you tell the police about her? She is a woman right?" _The only thing that'll explain his Gynophobia._

"Ah got it!" He mumbled, his attention was on the thing she couldn't see, before he noticed she was talking to him. "Hmm? Oh that? I don't know! He said not to mention it so I didn't."

_You don't have enough time! Sooner or later he's gonna do something. Gget as much information as you can before he starts! Don't get too caught on one topic! _Ayami told herself "The criticizing! What did you criticize?" She asked hurriedly, as he shifted his position and did something with his back to her. For one reason or another a cloth that was draped over the coffin blocked her view of whatever it was he was doing.

"Hmm… What was it, what was it…. AH!" He flung suddenly with a light bulb expression as he looked at her, but when he started talking again he went back to whatever it was he was doing. " They were too _Spineless' _ while using these medieval tools. It's like they didn't dare use them to their maximum capabilities." He said it with a disappointed tone.

"And THAT'S something to_ criticize!_ For goodness sake! If they _were_, in fact used to their '_maximum capabilities_' you won't be alive still! I don't know much about those tools and even _I _could tell that much! Are you literally insane! You actually WANTED them to fully use them? The Heck…?" The surprise at the boys comment made her go out of her mind. Insane people may be insane in inflicting pain to others, but not actually want that pain to be fully exercised on themselves!

"…" The little boy again stopped what it was he was working on and stared down at her from where he stood still his back to her, and gave her that blatant looked that laid down the facts, as he said "I _am_ insane."

Only then did Ayami _truly _feel the magnitude of this boy's insanity. Now the question was, since _when?_ She didn't let the shook take too much time, knowing that by the sounds of it the boy was around to finishing whatever it was he was doing. Thus, she moved to the next question. " Then _who_ was the one suffering during your stay here?"

"It was _him_" this time he answered her without getting his attention out of what's in his hands, and continued the conversation. "_He_ couldn't handle it to the point that he had to literally runaway from this body or suffer dire consequences on his personal psyche" He stopped for a moment to what seemed to her as reviewing what he just said, but then he shrugged indifferently as he continued, both the talk and his workings. "Makes it seem as though _he_ '_ditched'_ us to face it on our own. But even I know that isn't case. Haha! Now that I remember _his_ expression back then, he totally didn't know what hit him, or in this case what he himself did by possessing the bunny. After that _he _tried his best to save us, and either get _us_ or _them_ out of here. It didn't work exactly as_ he_ wanted but something along the lines. We're all safe now right?" At the last sentence he turned to her and gave her a sweet smile in supporting what he just said.

"…" She opened her mouth in hurry to ask another question, but she found herself still at a loss trying to comprehend everything she was told. When dealing with a crazed person, trying to get information out of them, you do not sit and define what's logical and what's not. From the said person's point of view he's telling you what he _sees_ or _knows._ That on it's own may be a key to solving the corresponding case, but _only_ when being able to correctly decipher the crazed witness's words as you'd do with a code. Everything in a crazed person's mind means something. The problem, the _mystery,_ is understanding the link between that something and the crazed man's words. A good key would be to understand how the man's mind works. Just like how a kid may refer to people by cars due to their jobs the crazy man mind would work in a similar way. But enough with that, she need's to get back her attention to this enigma case in front of her, who, from what she gathered, wouldn't hesitate in hurting her_, badly._ _Quick! What should I ask next? _"Why… why are you telling me all this when you haven't said any of that to the other police officers?"

"Hmm?" he suddenly turned his head towards her, making her jump ever so slightly as he stared her blankly. "...? I…" He started then stopped again as he searched his mind for his next words. "I…. I don't know. Maybe because no one asked? No, they did ask. Just... then, maybe because it was still fresh? Hmm…That's not it. Oh I see, maybe because… I feel like telling? It's so simple, why would you even ask? Plus this way I could get rid of you _and _your curiosity before I truly do something I'm warned exactly _not_ to do."

"You may be getting rid of my curiosity so far but not _me_. Or are you, as I'm suspecting, working on getting rid of me soon?"

"Why, of course!" he said in all the jolliness that a child possess, still without raising his head from his '_work'._ "In fact if you wait for just a bit, then I'll be able to do this without a hitch!"

"…"

Ayami knew now _for sure_ that there was no time left. If she wanted to run then it's now or never. But then… when will she be able to get him in such a talkative mood again? Most likely never. Should she take the risk and continue her interrogation, or take the opportunity and run?

_Just a little more, just a little more!_ She kept telling herself. And with that she started again, while sneaking closer and closer to the door. _Keep him busy talking as much as possible. "_Say, what did they do to you here?"

The little boy turned his head, the shadows and his bangs hiding his expression from her view, but not for long. When he was fully facing her, he shadows shifter and she was able to see his face again. "How about I let you experience it?"

His eyes were void of any 'Human' emotions. His smirk was wide and that of an insane madman. Being the officer she is, even she haven't seen that look on any other criminal BUT one. And that one person she had met before, that one crazed serial murder she went after, that one experience still gives her chilling nightmares. And that smirk of his was a very, _very_ bad omen.

"AHH!" As Ayami backed towards the entrance she came in, a rope tightened around her ankle and pulled her towards the ceiling, hanging her upside down, and then dragged her closer to the boy. "The Heck…!"

"Oooh! It worked! I feared it would be just too…primitive. _It Began. Whatever 'it' is *Gulp__*****_Was the only thought the caught officer could think of. "Would you please put me down?" she asked with forced politeness doubting he'd actually do, but tried anyways.

"Hehe" His smile went even wider if that was possible as he said "Of course!" With that he dropped her, literally, to the ground using the rope reel in his hands.

"Itee!". Ayami fell. It may not have been enough to do any permanent damage but it still hurt.

"Aww, I'm so sorry! Did I drop you _too fast?_" he asked as he put his hands on the reel, pulling her up to his eye level again. Once her swinging decreased enough to have her full attention, he looked at her with the smile still on, and his eyes with no change, except for a little addition to the emotions portrayed, _Joy._ He was having 'enjoying' it, and it was as clear as daylight that this is just the beginning. "Would you like me to try again?"

"ARGH!" Again he dropped her, this time it seemed from a higher distance than the one before because it had hurt. And he continued.

"Oh no, this is starting to get boring. What should we do next, what should we do? Oh! I know! Lets try putting on this!" He took out the 'thing' that he was fiddling with during their conversation. But before she could see it he stopped, "But first, we need fix your position. Hmm….Ah, got it!" he jumped down from his coffin seat and went towards a closet by old worn chair that had an even older, more worn out cushions that covered framework as well as the seat. He dragged said chair till it was directly under her, and with that he reached for the reel again and inconsiderately dropped her. She landed upside down, with her back in an uncomfortable angle against the backrest as her shoulder, neck and head had landed painfully on the seat. On the (strong) impact, Ayami had felt something painfully jab at her from underneath the cushions of the seat, after a closer mental inspection to the type of pain she found them to be… Spikes everywhere on the framework.

As the officer was disoriented by the multiple hits to the head, Conan took the chance and injected her quite swiftly with a immobilizing drug, preventing her from taking any resisting actions. As shameful as this sounds, she had to admit, she was out-done and will-be beaten by a seven year old whom doesn't reach her waist. It made her wonder where all those YEARS of experience as a police officer had gone to. The only thing she could think of to blame is the boy's unnerving atmosphere. It frustrates her so, but now she needs to put all that aside and think of a way to save her own ass because no one else could. At that seemingly inappropriate timing, something the boy said not too long ago came to mind_. "__before I truly do something I'm warned exactly not to do" He's warned. But, not to do _What_? Kill?_

After the drug had started working, Conan positioned himself so he was within the officer's upside-down field of view. He stared a bit contemplating something as he looked her over, and with a last 'hmm' he set to work. Having the chair a bit to big for him to handle easily, he was forced into climbing up onto the arm set to be able to grab the woman's legs, with that he recklessly, uncaring of the 'object' in hand, fixed her position until it sat somewhat upright. The hazed minded officer could only force her eyes open to watch as the boy strapped her into the chair. Making her comprehend the pain of the spikes underneath the cushions of her seat. It was made even more unbearable when the little insane kid had tightened each of her limbs to their places. She was the least bit thankful for the drug, for it lessened the pain. But for how long? That is the surviving key.

"So first is first, The Chair of Torture! Or so they called it. Honestly, they were too much of cowards that they didn't dare to use it to its full capacity. I mean, what's with those cushions? They just ruined the whole meaning of the chair! Personally I'd have preferred removing them before I had you sit on them, after all I need to be a good host and do the hospitality to its best, right? But… _sigh~_ I did tell you I'd have you experience what I went through, but _after_ I'm done with that, I can do it my way, right, right?" he ended it with pleading puppy eyes jumping on the tips of his feet. "Wait, why am I even asking permission? _No one_ can say no to my adorable puppy eyes!" He flashed his eyes on her.

Ayami sat there, not like she could do anything else, and … stared at him in disbelief. She couldn't believe what she was hearing, or figuring out from the beginning of this _accursed_ day. For goodness sake, he was … he was, _UGHR!_ And with that last bit of concealed anger that she hadn't been able to use to lash out before now, she shouted. " You… _YOU! _You've been _lying_ to everyone! And… And you've been _enjoying _it? You do it fully conscious and then you _enjoy_ it? Who-_What_ are you?"

"Me?" He asked with joy spreading through his face. With a finger positioned cutely on his bottom lip, he continued. "I'm just a three years old kid. Nothing more, nothing less."

_Three?_ Ayami stopped herself from over thinking in this kind of situation and instead just filed it away in her mind for a more appropriate timing. Instead, she re-forced herself to think of a way out of here! _Stall! Continue talking! _"You look _eight _to me! Could you explain that to me?"

"Well~~" He began rounding around the chained officer with wide steps "But it means what it means, nothing more nothing less, as I already said. What? Too stupid to understand?"

Ayami was having enough trouble as it is to keep following him with her eyes, but then he goes and turns his back on her as he faced a mountain full of scraps and junk. Not two seconds later her gets something out and turns on his heels and brandish a weird hat-like thing in front of her. " Ta-da! What do you think, cool right? What? You don't know what this is? Oh well, I'll tell you. It's called a Head Crusher."

The boy paused to let the name sink in. He didn't continue until he saw that realization dawned at her at what this thing's job could be. "And Exactly as the name suggests, it 'crushes' heads, isn't that cool? All have to do is put your head between the bar and underneath the cap and then just twist the screw so that you go Squash! Funny right?" That happy attitude of the kid never stopped adding to freakiness of the situation even after this long. But then his tone dropped to a dejected tone as he said " But you see, the ones who held me here didn't dare to do too much. They were just too _cowardly_ to go all the way. I wouldn't do that if I were in their place! And guess what? I _am_ in their place right now! What do you think? Great isn't it?" he took hold of the hat thing and brought closer to her "Well then, shall we stop our little chit-chat?"

"I may be sedated but I won't make it that easy!" she said in defiance. But, at that moment, she didn't know if the kid's actions were serious or a mere joke, _bad_ joke. The kid heaved the hat metal thing that was put down sometime along the conversation. The thing is, he used his whole body to do so. He squatted down and literally with all his strength levelled the not-so-big thing into his lap and then with even more struggle he stood up and raised his hat-thingy above his head, causing him to lose his balance and swayed in his place. It took the currently comical boy a while before he finally regained his balance with the thing cradled in his hands. Ayami couldn't help the passing thought of this being possibly a hidden-camera moment as she sweet dropped. For goodness sake, the whole serious scary atmosphere of less than three seconds ago was deflated in a snap of fingers. At the ridiculous change in mood she found her mouth working before her brain. "How did you do it just a moment ago?" she asked with a straight-faced.

"It was prodded on a step, or junk… honestly I don't know. Everything here is a mess." He, for once was truly honest about something. "Never mind that, Now let's get your head in this! Mwahaahaha!" he added an evil laugh at the end. And then he mumbled something I little bit more quitter "I've always wanted to try it, hehe"

_You must be kidding me…sigh~_ She couldn't feel an ounce of fear that dominated her before and wondered if that was really okay… She knew that it wasn't like the demented child had gone sane all of a sudden, just… childish. " Ah, sure. Go ahead" she couldn't feel it in herself to actually care much at the moment.

"Hohoho, I'll have you see just how much scary I could get!" His next move was to get the thing to her head and then have her head placed between the bar and the hat. The thing is, he was too short. He had to tip toe and stretch his body to its full strength as he raised his hat up and with futile attempt to get it on her, and even with that he still didn't reach to her head. Next attempt, he climbed onto her lap and tried again. This time the obstacle wasn't his height but her freedom to move head that kept on shifting away from his already short reach. It all just seemed so unreal how the tension was gone and how it all seemed so easy now to stop him.

The kid's laughable yet somehow funny attempt might have even been considered cute if it weren't in such a situation was interrupted by a unpredicted and third voice.

"You never die, do you?"

Conan dropped the hat the instant the voice was heard. The heavy hat thing was quite painful on the impact, making her cuss and momentarily forget to do the one thing she was obsessing with, observing the kid. And _that _was a mistake, a big, _big _mistake.

"I've been trying for the past eight years and still you don't die. Can't you explain that to me?"

The owner of the voice showed up from behind the door. It was a young, long dark haired, pretty woman with contempt written all over her face, her beauty contradicting the tone used in her speech. But when the young woman looked around, bringing Ayami attention back to surrounding, the boy being talked to was nowhere to be found. The young lady wasn't the only one surprised, for even Ayami didn't know when he disappeared. "Oh my, it seems he has ran away yet again." She spared a glance towards the restrained officer and said "Don't worry. This area isn't as dead as it used to be. A lot of police officers have been patrolling the area as of late. I'm sure it's only a matter of time before you're found. I shall be kind enough and keep the door open for you."

With that the young lady turned back and left as though she had never entered in the first place, not exceptionally in any hurry, thus Ayami concluded she wasn't going to bother searching for the boy.

Now, with both potential dangers gone Conan, real danger, and the young unknown lady being 'potential' danger the only thing was left to do is to _get out of here._

* * *

**I'm Soooooooo sorry for the long wait! But I hope you enjoyed this chapter.**

**The whole try to put the hat on Ayami wasn't really planned for, but then when I really thought about it, that thing should be too heavy fort Conan to hold so easily and as I imagined it in a more realistic sense _that_ happaned, thus I'm sorry for my bad sense of humor.. -_-; sorry…**

**Refrence for movie 15 and episode Episodes 509-510: Red, White, Yellow and the Detective Boys. Torture tools mentioned can be found here: **

**Please don't forget to leave a Review! **


	21. Chapter 20 Apathy

**Chapter 20- Apathy**

"You! What were you thinking! Didn't I say NOT to over do it!" Ai shouted as they ran down the stinking sewers holding tightly to Conan's wrist, almost ready to break it.

"I didn't over do it. She's still alive, isn't she?" The dragged boy shrugged indifferently, causing her rage to increase.

"That, and proving to her that you are not just insane but dangerously so.! What if she manages to convince the others and then they throw you in a white to rot away forever? What would you do then?"

"Nothing, we'll just run away. "

"And go_ where_ exactly? If you can't return here then you literally don't have a hole to return to! Do you understand how important that is? Apathy, say something!"

" What do you want me to say?"

"Weren't you supposed to keep Conan under control? Then, why did he go so far?"

"Relax, it's not like he would've been able to go any further than that, plus all the equipment in there were rendered harmless. Thus, there is nothing to worry about."

"Still! What if another police officer came by? What would you do then?"

"Conan tells you 'We are _manipulative bastards_, we would easily get out of it'"

"No, that would be exactly proving what _she_ just said!"

"So? Knowing it and using it are two different things. Relax, worst-case scenario we'll run from the asylum. The streets have always been my home, so there's nothing to worry about there."

"I don't like it!"

"Why would they take _you_ to an asylum because of us? We won't say anything to get you in trouble."

"No, I don't like the idea of you getting sent there! What would I do without you? Who'll make sure the Black Organization won't catch me?" Haibara's voice trembled on the verge of a panic attack.

"Ai, I assure you, if that happens, we'll find a way around it then."

"But why didn't you think about the consequences _before_ you did what you did? That's not like you! Not even Kudou would be so reckless!"

"I… have no logical explanation…"

"That's NOT what I want to hear! Ah, Forget it! Just go back home and _STAY _there until further notice! You could _all_ reflect in the mean time. And Jeez I can't believe, I'm literally grounding you. How much more older are you trying to make me feel?"

"Aye, aye Ma'am"

"And drop the dry sarcasm. I'm not in a mood to hear it." _Sigh~_

They spent the rest of trip in deafening silence, neither willing to talk to the other, one out of rage, the other out of respect and to avoid the other's bad mood, shameless to what he has done.

When they reached back home with Apathy leading them down shortcuts, Haibara simply pointed towards a bedroom with a controlled expression and immediately went to another side of the house, the basement laboratory, in need of staying the furthest possible distance from the other.

Conan, or Apathy to be more accurate, went obediently to where she pointed and locked himself in for the rest of the day. He didn't reflect on his, or his other half/third's doing, rather he focused more to his current situation and how he got into it. With that, his thoughts took him far, _far _into where it all started…

* * *

Ever on the run from his lunatic wants-to-kill-him mother, the six years old him, from almost two and a half years ago, was doing what he always did in such a fine autumn afternoon, walking around and haunting for food that didn't exactly reek. Hard feats for a street kid, but hey! 'Beggars can't be choosers' though he had it nicer than the other homeless people. He may have just barely turned six back then but he was a veteran. He was raised on the streets, and being smart it didn't take him long to take control of at least a small territory. Even if his territory was so small and barely held any authority on any grown ups, he also had attained the favor of all the neighboring scary and most feared gangsters. Although most of them were just purely pedophiles, others just taken in awe for his cuteness and brains, the rest tended to like to have a 'little brother' or 'son' they could take care of – it would surprise anyone the amount of 'big caring bears' that wandered the streets in control. Regardless of the exact reasons they helped in surviving the cruel environment that Apathy had grown accustomed to, plus neither pride nor virtue helped in putting food in your grumbling tummy, so why should he care if was played with a little in exchange for a better chances of not getting his throat slit by some psycho while he's in the middle of a much needed sleep? When they like you, no matter the reasons, they tend to keep you safe for their own selves, be it pleasure or sense of responsibility they had taken upon themselves.

The point was, he was very well liked among the old-timers, that were in control, a well-respected or feared men. Thus he had almost nothing to fear, if by some ill luck that someone tried to kill him, they'll have to worry over the very possessive 'friends' he had backing him up. They'd probably either make use of his then lifeless body to keep those little fires burning throughout the cold night, or have him as a rare good quality meal for dinner. Cannibalism wasn't far from thought when in hunger.

Well it's true he is a manipulative bastard. Even when he was just born he had the charisma to make people take good care of him. Now, that didn't make him _spoiled _by any means. It was just his way of surviving to see the next day. But after years and years, true they were only five worth of memories but still they felt like eternity with every day's main goal is to stay alive buy then, he got bored of it. The funny thing is, even when he didn't bother to put extra effort on _not dying_, due to either luck or the people around him, he still managed to stay alive for so long.

One day he took a detour to watch people in Tropical Land when he found an interesting discovery. Among them, there was one teen who, for all his knowledge, might have been his long lost big brother. Out of curiosity he followed the guy on his date, waiting for him whenever he went on a ride. As he was following the teen he noticed two men in black riding behind him on the rollercoaster. At that time a murder case happened, that teen quickly closed it and, not long after, followed the suspicious men in black.

Apathy got distracted by the attraction-goers still roaming the grounds until he managed to finally get to where the teen wandered off to. He heard sounds; in fear of getting caught he hid out of their sight. When the men left and he didn't see a sign of the teen, he went in only to trip over an arm. When he looked closer he found it to be the teen he was following, lying on the ground lifeless. He found the guys clothes to be quite warm. Looking back at his tattered garments of his own, he raided the body of it's clothes and wore them himself, rolling the body to a ditch somewhere out of the public eye. Just when he turned around to leave, a chill ran over him as a sense of eeriness crawled over him. He ignored it and felt compelled to come back to where the body was to check for anything that the teen might have dropped when he died. Before he was even able to get hold of the teen's things he felt dizzy and fell unconscious.

In his unconscious mind, he felt a foreign presence. The next time he woke up he noticed something strange from the very beginning, but when his body started moving without his command he knew what had happened to him. He was possessed.

Amazed by the turn of events he sat back and watched the turns unfold silently, without alerting the other to his existence, wanting to see how it would end and to entertain himself for a while. It was funny, really, what the dead teen deduced. The teen, Shinichi, thought that he had _shrunk_. The moment Apathy heard that thought he had to hold himself hard from cracking up on the idea. It seems the stolen clothes added to his theory along side with the site of awakening and the lack of his original body. It was entertaining to see him panic and run to his neighbor for help and, by some hard to understand coincidence, he ended up in his girlfriend's house, living undercover. Yes, Apathy found it very entertaining.

Though he still wonders, how come 'till this day no one found the body? Sure he hid it well, but…

* * *

I hate him! I Hate him! I HATE _him!_

We are totally different! He is an idealistic idiot, a mystery geek, a nuisance, and a _pet!_ How dare he talk about justice and what can and cannot be done when he knows nothing of life? This boy has lived his life in a roofed house, with guardians, parents that loved him! Food was within an arm's reach. Non-tainted, nor a used body! Total _Virgin_, with pride and honor absolutely untouched! With honest friend that have no ulterior nor disgusting intentions.

Worlds apart from my background. And still, he has the guts to feel as though he has had the worst fate ?!–

Actually… I shall take back my words;

He _does _have the worst fate…

He is Dead.

* * *

**A "Edogawa Conan" and "Kudou Shinichi" chapters are up next, with those FINAL two chapter I plan to explain EVERYTHING about the story, Ayami shall have a part to clarify what she had done after the last chapter's events. Now the thing is, with college being so close by, I'm hundred percent sure I won't have time to even think about writing a new chapter! But on the same time, I'd like to keep a possibility for new chapters if I managed to write any later on. Cause I seriously LOVE this story/plot and to do put an ending that would render any future chapters impossible is very, very hard. **

**On the note of explaining. I hope this had cleared some of your doubts, and I was hoping you'd remind me of all those missing Variables I along writing the story so that I'd answer them within the next 2 chapters.**

**And I was wondering, is _anyone _ from the one who began reading the story back at the beginning of my posting still reading? I won't be surprised if you guys got bored by me…**

**And Yes, sorry for the uncharacteristically short chapter, but I made my reasons clear above.**

**_PLEASSEEEEEE Review! _ It makes me write the next chapters faster, to know that people are actually interested and that I'm not taking to myself…**


	22. Chapter 21 Conan Edogawa

**Chapter 21 –Edogawa Conan**

**Apathy's POV**

This little guy's story is much more complicated than the norm. He originally was just a façade, an act Kudo Shinichi hid behind to throw away any suspicions of his 'true' identity. To be fair, the teen had a point. If his killer organization found out that there was an unverified death just right before a smart –not a genius- mature child with teenage mannerism shows up, red alerts would be raised and get us killed, both Kudo and me.

A false face, identity was what he was supposed to be but then, without either of us noticing, it grew.

It began when Kudo would fall into a dire situation where he had caused too much suspicion into his true age. At those times Conan would show up just quick enough to null those suspicions around him, yet not alert any of us to his presence. Not that Conan was doing it on purpose, but he was still 'undeveloped' at that point.

With each coming day the little boy grew more and more noticeable, to the point where even Kudo couldn't ignore him anymore. Kudo fell into a state of denial, writing any appearance of the little guy off as an automatic reaction to whatever situation he gets into. Eventually even Kudo couldn't deny Conan any more, especially when he finds himself talking or thinking about him as an individual person. Regardless, it's not like he had the courage to confirm it with an expert, nor to speak of it with any of his closest friends –Hattori and Haibara. This secret, it did weigh heavily on his psyche. Ever since, he had became paranoid, though I am no expert nor do I know wither or not his fears were rational but what I do know is that those annoying thouts where hard to control. His biggest worries changed his own personality slowly and gradually without anyone noticing except for the ever attentive Haibara. Kudo's biggest fear was:

"_Will I disappear only to be replaced by Conan from the inside as well?"_

Throughout all this time I managed to keep myself hidden quite well.

Conan had only truly taken over when Kudo was tortured. And to think that this time, out of all the times where Kudo's Death-bringer-luck struck us, it was actually my fault for once.

It was my so-called mother after the kidnapping idea. She got herself some low-life-dog by swinging her whore hips for him to do all the dirty job to try and kill me, _again_, for the eighth time since I was _accidentally _born. A person would think taking another's fake identity would throw her off my track, but no. I do feel excessively guilty for getting the ghost teen into the mess; regardless of how much I dislike him at times. I do not hate him to the point of wishing him misery.

As for me, true it is my body, but I am called Apathy for a reason. I may feel shared pain with Kudo when he get us hurt, but my pain threshold is much, _much _higher than to be bent by kids-play crock like they produced. This same kids' play caused the mature dead teen to involuntarily run away from the abused body and possess a torn apart, tattered stuffed toy that was in the vicinity.

When Conan was left to manage the stage at that time, things turned downhill. Before the incident he was exactly as Kudo 'programmed' him to be, but due to the torture he rewrote his personality, it being twisted and resulting in the currently insane child he is right now.

Regarding myself, I was forced into stepping into the light under orders of "the Ice Queen", Haibara Ai, or as she dubbed it, doing a favor. Haibara Ai had known of my existence for quite a long time before any of this had happened. She had an insight into the who inner ordeal about me, about Conan, and about what really happened to Kudo Shinichi.

I used to take breaks by taking control of my body whenever Kudo would be in a deep sleep, generally in the dead of the night after he'd passed out due to the stress of the cases he liked to play around with. The first few times I tended to leave little Conan free from Kudo's forceful denial at the park, not to mention there was where Ai caught us one time. Immediately she noticed the oddity in Conan's action; so "un-Kudo-ish" she said. True, because Conan was and is truly just a child. Ever since then, I've taken Haibara's advice and used the Hakase's house as a sanctuary where I could move, free of the other two -It was much safer to have one other person know it and help me hide it rather than going in the open with a possibility that the wrong person catches wind of it. And considering Haibara's genuine situation- the same drug Kudo took actually caused her to shirk. It was probably her that help the teen ghost think it had been his body. He wondered at the probabilities of something like that, one person shrinking and the other thinking they had when there was no proof of either. Dumb luck, he'd settle on that. What did he care?, Haibara's interest in him and being in that situation herself made her the perfect person to rely on.

A lot of Conan's likes and dislikes were influenced by us, such as his woman phobia that was driven from my memories of my mother and my hatred of her. Seeking Kaitou Kid out, that was from Kudo's secret 'rivalry-friendship' relationship with the thief. Soccer, from Kudo as well, and the blue color from me…

Kudo was mostly gone now, Conan and I in control. But of course, the boy can't stand up to me. I'm real and he's not, the body is mine and he's just a figment of our comparative thoughts.

And what do I care about this body though? I haven't in a long time and, leaving things they way they are, it's fun to watch the world fall around me.

He's so much fun to watch now too, since that incident.

* * *

**Well, One more Chapter to go! Obviously Named "Kudo Shinichi" considering the story is about to end –_Temporarily_ that is- I hope more and more Questions had been answered. If I had missed something Please do tell me, I do tend to lose track of what I had wrote so far. **

**So…. Anyone is even hyped about the ending of this story? Or did most of you lose interest half way through? Well, it can't be helped since I am a sucky writer that barely updates whenever she feels like it…. _Sigh_ I'm sorry! I just… don't/didn't want to write things in a hurry and end up with a very, very bad turn of events! I tried it once, forcing my self to post a chapter every set a time. By the time I looked back at it, it was a TOTAL mess! When I reached chapter seven of it it seriously had nothing to do with what I originally wrote the story for! At the end I just dropped the fic all together BTW it's Our school's Outcast, a man Yullen fic, Well, it SUCKED but I still keep it around for some reason I just thought No, no,no no no no! I'm NEVER gonna do that again! It resulted in Slow updates instead….**

**Ah, I'm sorry for my long Rambling, I'll end it here**

**Thank you for all who reviews,**

**And Please please please for the rest out there who like the story, I'd appreciate it TONS if you write all the critic you want about it in a review! **


	23. Chapter 22 Kudo Shinichi

**Chapter 22: Kudo Shinichi (p.o.v.)**

I hate this! I HATE this! I hate, _HATE this!_ I can't believe I used to complain about being shrunk! This is much,_ much_ worse! Nothing can even begin to compare! How did things turn this way? There is _no_ logic, none at all, that can explain this! Is this my punishment for whining and taking everything back then for granted? I thought I paid for my over-confidence by turning to a 7 years old kid, but then why… why _this_?

_This _must be my punishment for whining about having a kid's body. Now I don't have _any!_ Wait! Wait, wait, _wait_! No, I'm not gonna do this again. I _do_ have a body; it's a stuffed animal, a bunny. With enough effort I could even move it. With enough effort I could even communicate with others through their dreams. Some like Hattori I can talk to some without any effort at all! Namely though, I could only regularly communicate with Haibara and… and only Haibara…. Still! This definitely beats _not _having a body and being a restless soul, right? Ah… who am I kidding? No matter how much I try to convince myself there is a fate worse than this, I just can't come to terms with it. I stillhate it.

To think that it all happened as a defence mechanism, I can't believe it. Harder still to believe, to think that that body was never mine, that 'Conan's' body had a previous owner, and that I was dead all along, a ghost possessing a body. I can never, ABSOLUTELY NEVER believe it! And to add salt to the wound, Haibara had known of it long before me but never, not once, did she hint to me of such things. She reasoned to me that with my strong sense of logic I would have not believed her, and rather I may have thought her to be in need of a psychiatric attention. Well, ironically, _Conan_ is signed up for consulting once every week. At the end it didn't matter, I still ended up a nut case.

And what kind of defence mechanism is that? It's something that can't even be reversed! For goodness sake I'm in a... ughr! Since the beginning of these events, Haibara had even disregarded her chemistry and went further into psychology and the supernatural in an attempt to return me back to the body, regardless of the two others already in control in there. I will _not_ stand to be helpless.

Regardless of my attempts, it took quite a while and a lot of effort to finally get the hang of this body. If I were to boast about something it would be that I figured it all out by myself, not that that's something to be arrogant about, but especially living in a fake bunny I'll still find a way to move around on my own well. Ah, but Conan's personality sure isn't making it any easier. I understand a twist in someone's personality may have been normal, if not inevitable, after going through that experience. I don't think _I_ went out of that kidnapping case unscathed. It was terrifying…

As that lowlife kidnapper was having his 'fun' while torturing me-us, it seems I couldn't handle it enough and ran. But to think that what I ran from was my _body_ rather than somehow getting past the kidnapping experience. Unbelievable… The next thing I knew was that I was able to see the whole situation, my body getting tortured by the kidnapper from a third point of view, and worse, everything around me looked even larger than it did from Conan's p.o.v. and the new position was lower, much _much_ closer to the ground, yet not exactly lying on it.

It took me a while to realise, for I was shocked still , that I was in a tattered stuffed animal. But what shocked me even more was that even though I was far away from me, my body still looked very much alive, scared and… crying… to think there will be a day when I would see tears spilling from my eyes, my face again… I thought I would never need to see it after What's the more familiar name to refer to the case where the murder, a former Kudo fan, had made his face look like Kudo? … it was called, Murderer, Shinichi Kudo, and that's what every one knows it by. Makoto? Ah, I forgot the kids name though. *goes to look it up. Ah, I was right*Makoto Case. Nevertheless, it was a heart-breaking scene for me, to see Conan, a child me, because at the moment he was nothing but a child, crying his eyes out with fear and immense pain prisoning even his voice from coming out at all… it was truly a scene that had even me thrash and scream and shriek and yell in hysteria. But regrettably, I was in in the body of this damned bunny, a thing that doesn't possess vocal chords…

To see yourself being gagged and choked and drowned and whipped and pinned and cut open only to be sewn while forced to stay conscious with no drug or the like to lessen the pain… to see yourself being deprived of even the faintest of rest a nightmare ridden sleep could offer you and to think you cannot help, not the in the slightest way possible, being stuck in an immobile stack of cotton in the _best_ 'seat' there is to watch this … this _thing_ that I cannot find /have no word for behind a wall, a barrel, a reinforced clear glass window as I literally scream with every ounce of my soul until my mental voice had gone hoarse, if that's even possible. To think… to _see _your childish body, a very much true child at that time, …_get raped… right in front of you_ while you sat there, unable to do anything but stare and let those mental tears run down your non-physical body. To think that this USELESS body was not even able a _tear _back then. How _despicable_.

When I asked Apathy later why he didn't help and take over Conan during that horrendous time, he simply said,

"I preferred to take the bystander's position, as I have done so far- no more no less." And to think that him and I have been sharing a body for almost three days.

After days and days of such extreme torture, to the point where I have lost count of time, after what looked to be long past Conan's limits one day when the kidnapper saw how exhausted and lifeless Conan was, he let his guard down. And that was the breakthrough we'd all been waiting for. Apathy had seemed to have gotten fed up of the situation and only then did he take over Conan's body and knockout the kidnapper and then give it back to Conan only for an hour later to be found by the Police just when we thought they'd never find us….

* * *

**Ayami POV:**

Ah, after that manipulative bastard had tied me to that annoyingly painful chair and the second kidnapper disappeared I managed to loosen the belts and run away.

Even after all that, I did not say anything to my comrades because I _will_ deal with this little monster on my own. I'll show him that he cannot play me, and I _will_ scramble to get a case on him together- her get him some damned help because he needs it, either in a padded cell or with a physiatrist. This story has not ended yet. Just knowing the variables isn't enough to put a end to all that's happened around the boy.

He dare challenge me into bringing him to light

In terms of the law, he is a criminal regardless of age

I _know_ he killed that man in the alley

And I will prove it

I will most definitely catch him red handed

That or find a solid proof to hold against him

I'm not playing with a child

He is by means not a normal child, nor a traumatized kid to be babied.

He knows what he's doing

And worst of it all…

He hides behind an innocent mask

He plays those around as if he were a puppet muster

And I Will put him put an end to his actions

The next time I get him committing an act I'll get him, I will!

The next time…

_The Next time_…

* * *

**THE END –temporarily- I kept a possibility for a sequel, though I personally don't like to read sequel, and I tried my best to explain everything. BUT I do love this story so much, it's hard to just End it! I might add an ark every now and then, if I ended up with enough time, and inspiration. Maybe some one-shots related to this story, I'd probably though add them as a new chapter under this story rather than as a new chapter though.**

**Ah a note, Kudo returning to his original teenage size never happens in this semi-AU. Why? Because it doesn't fit! And thus I'll put it under the " because its an AU" reason.**

**Uuhm, So… we have reached the end of our flight, with POSSIBLE future destinations…. Anyone enjoyed the ride just as much as I did?**

**Everyone, a special Thanx to:**

**all who review –gave me motivation to continue-**

**Lostinthedreams**

**Nooryii, because she kept nagging me in real life to get the Heck move on this!**

**And last but not least for all of you Readers and Reviewers**

**I'm waiting to see any farewell, overall story critics and reviews. **

**Hope to see you later! Waah! I'm getting so emotional! My first Complete story, yes yes an open ended one, but still a Complete story.**


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